Gasoline Refinement

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Gasoline Gasoline as we know it today comes from crude oil. Crude oil, which is a fossil fuel, is a nonrenewable (once its gone, its gone for good) fuel source. Fossil fuel is comprised of naturally decaying plants and animals which once lived in oceans and seas millions of years ago. Where we find crude oil deposits we also find ancient oceans and seabeds. When extracted from the earth, crude oil may have colors ranging from clear to jet black and resistance to flow or viscosity from water to a molasses type substance. Crude oil that is low in metals and sulfur content, light in color and flow easy are said to be "light" and cost more where those which are high in metal and sulfur content dark in color and must be heated to be fluid are called "heavy" and are less expensive. Light crude is less expensive to refine and heavy crude is more expensive to refine. The term "sweet" is used to define crude oil that is low in sulfurous compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans, which is an organic compound, produced by decaying animals and plant matter and has bonded to a carbon atom. "Sour" crude oil is high in sulfurous compounds. Once extracted from the earth, crude oil must be refined to become useful. Crude oil contains over 500 hundred hydrocarbons plus many other elements and additives that are all combined into one product. The refining process separates and groups these hydrocarbons together to make things that are of value to us such as gasoline and diesel fuel, waxes, asphalts, household fuel oil, industrial lubricating oils, greases and other petrochemicals. Upon extraction, the crude oil is transferred to a refinery. This is normally done either by pipeline or supertanker ships that are up 1500 feet in ... ... middle of paper ... ...s per gallon. Carpooling also saves fuel not to mention your wallet. If you have empty seats in your vehicle, carpool with co-workers and alternate who drives and who pays for gas. Websites used U.S. Department of Energy: http://www.doe.gov/ American Association of Petroleum Geologists: http://www.aapg.org/ Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists: http://www.cspg.org/ Society of Petroleum Engineers: http://www.spe.org/ http://www.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining.htm http://www.chevron.com/products/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/motorgas/downloads/Motor_Fuels_Tch_Rvw_chp3.pdf http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5367096&ft=1&f=2 http://proquest.umi.com.exproxy.saintleo/pqdweb?did=1065258531&sid=2&Fmt=4&clie8088&RTQ=309&Vname=PQD http://proquest.umi.com.exproxy.saintleo/pqdweb?did=160670601&sid=3&Fmt=4&clientld=18088&RQT=309&Vname=PQD

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