How is Fuel Oil Produced?

Fuel oil is primarily produced from specific types of petroleum distillates, often involving blending various fractions obtained during oil refining.

The Production Process

Based on manufacturing methods, different types of fuel oils are created using distinct petroleum components:

• Kerosene Fuel Oils: These are manufactured directly from straight-run petroleum distillates [5]. The specific distillates used are those obtained within the boiling range characteristic of kerosene [5].
• Other Distillate Fuel Oils: These typically contain straight-run middle distillate [6]. They are often enhanced by blending this base component with other petroleum fractions [6]:
  • Straight-run gas oil [7]
  • Light vacuum distillates [19]
  • Light cracked distillates [24, 30]

This blending process allows for the creation of various fuel oil grades with different properties suited for specific applications.

Components Used in Fuel Oil Production

Here is a summary of the primary components mentioned in the reference:

• Straight-Run Petroleum Distillates (Kerosene Range): The base for kerosene fuel oils [5]. These are fractions obtained directly from the atmospheric distillation of crude oil without further processing.
• Straight-Run Middle Distillate: A core component for other distillate fuel oils [6].
• Straight-Run Gas Oil: Often blended with middle distillates [7].
• Light Vacuum Distillates: Used in blending for other distillate fuel oils [19]. These are obtained from vacuum distillation, typically of heavier residue from atmospheric distillation.
• Light Cracked Distillates: Also used in blending [24, 30]. These come from cracking processes, which break down heavier hydrocarbon molecules into lighter ones.

In essence, fuel oil production involves selecting and often blending specific hydrocarbon fractions derived from crude oil refining to meet the required specifications for different grades of fuel oil.