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Is gasoline a hazardous waste in the refining process?
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Courtesy Associated Press
To answer the question, we first need to know how many gallons of gasoline are refined from one barrel of oil. One barrel (42 gallons) of crude oil, when refined, produces approximately 19.6 gallons as well as other petroleum products. Some of the other products that come from the refining process are asphalt, lubricating oils, paraffin wax, heating oil, tar, and other parts of industrial products.
From a barrel of oil, the refining process produces approximately 47% gasoline, 23% heating oil and diesel fuel, 18% is refined to other products, which includes petrochemical feedstock such as polypropylene, 4% propane, 10% jet fuel, and 3% is refined to asphalt. For those of you that check the math, yes the percentages sum to over 100 because there is approximately a 5% processing gain in refining.
Today the price of oil closed just shy of $71.00 at $70.96 per barrel while regular gasoline is around $2.65 per gallon. At retail the value of the gasoline is approximately $51.94 per barrel, heating oil and diesel $25.60, aviation $17.85 (Note: today’s high $5.96, low $2.75 for Jet A and 100LL in the greater Tampa Bay area), propane $4.20 with the real money in the 18% of the barrel comprising petrochemical, feed stocks and polypropylene which can add hundreds of dollars alone.
Overall, gasoline yields minimal monetary value compared to the byproducts, chemicals and resins which yield hundreds of dollars more at the retail value. The real money in refined oil is not in gasoline. If gasoline was not consumed by the auto loving public it would have to be repositioned in the market or disposed of as a hazardous waste. Could this be a possible explanation why the oil companies insist upon marketing gasoline and resisting the idea of alternative energy for automobiles?
I have provided links to several reports covering the refining process, the energy used to produce gasoline and diesel, and the comparison of green house gas (GHS) with the associated pollution from diesel and gasoline.
Consider some of the findings of several reports: from the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Government.
…Diesel fuel has a higher energy density than gasoline … approximately 147,000 BTUs of energy … while a gallon of gasoline only has 125,000 BTUs … this means it takes more gasoline to equal the power output of diesel, making diesel engines more efficient per gallon of fuel burned. Also … the diesel system has little wasted or unburned fuel ... diesels also use about one third as much fuel at idle as gasoline.
The flip side of a diesel-engine's expensive initial cost is its excellent durability … the average gas engine is good for only around 125,000 miles before needing a rebuild … a diesel can go more than three times this amount before needing an overhaul … Because diesel fuel is easier to refine, taking less time to get from raw petroleum to final product than gasoline, it's usually priced lower than gas.
From the Energy Information Administration report on diesel efficiency and emissions
… at a refinery, the process for making diesel fuel is less energy-intensive than the process for making gasoline on a Btu basis. Consequently, making diesel fuel from petroleum emits less GHGs in the fuel stage than making gasoline. Blending 10 percent ethanol made from corn into gasoline slightly reduces the GHG emissions compared to conventional gasoline in the well-to-pump cycle, because corn at the feedstock level is a GHG sink, meaning that it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. However, at the fuel stage, making corn ethanol is a highly energy-intensive process, offsetting much of the GHG reductions at the feedstock stage.
Further investigation shows that the production of ethanol consumes more energy than it produces. Put another way, ethanol costs more in absolute dollars to manufacture and the energy used to create ethanol produces more green house gases than ethanol saves.
I have experienced both diesel and gasoline automobiles. When my first diesel was new I consistently got 33 to 34 miles to the gallon on trips and 24 to 27 in the city. After 10 years it only gets 32 miles to the gallon on the road and 23 -24 in the city.
With the improvements in diesel fuel refining, engine technology, improved mileage and less energy to produce compared to gasoline it may be time to consider diesel as a strong alternative to gasoline. Without the automobile, gasoline may just be a hazardous waste.
The Oil Drum
Congressman Jerry McNerny July 30, 2008 crack down on oil speculation article.
Energy Information Administration
Fat Knowledge
Associated Press Florida Gas prices
