products made from petroleum

What products and uses does Petroleum have outside of Gasoline?

An April 2007 nationwide online survey revealed that 72 percent of the American public does not know that conventional plastic is made
from petroleum products, primarily oil. I assumed this was common knowledge. Apparently, it falls into the useless trivia category in most people’s brains. This reminds me of a video I was watching last week, the best of Jaywalking with Jay Leno on his final show. I didn’t see this one live, but it his jaywalking bit will be missed. If anything it should make you feel a lot smarter.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), this is a list of petroleum products and their share of total US petroleum consumption in 2013.

  • Gasoline 46%
  • Heating Oil / Diesel Fuel 20%
  • Jet Fuel ( kerosene) 8%
  • Propane / Propylene 7%
  • NGL / LRG 6%
  • Still Gas 4%
  • Petrochemical Feedstocks 2%
  • Petroleum Coke 2%
  • Residual / Heavy Fuel Oil 2%
  • Asphalt / Road Oil 2%
  • Lubricants 1%
  • Miscellaneous Products / Special Naphthas 0.4%
  • Other Liquids 1%
  • Aviation Gasoline 0.1%
  • Waxes 0.04%
  • Kerosene 0.02%

Here is a partial list of products made from petroleum?

There is a quite a large list of products made from petroleum. This list is constantly growing as new inventions are created. Here are some of the items which are made from petroleum.

SolventsDiesel fuelMotor OilBearing Grease
InkFloor WaxBallpoint PensFootball Cleats
UpholsterySweaters   (that explains the itchy sweater I have at home)BoatsInsecticides
Bicycle TiresSports Car BodiesNail PolishFishing lures
DressesTiresGolf BagsPerfumes
CassettesDishwasher partsTool BoxesShoe Polish
Motorcycle HelmetCaulkingPetroleum JellyTransparent Tape
CD Player (do people still have these?)Faucet WashersAntisepticsClothesline
CurtainsFood PreservativesBasketballsSoap  (that explains why soap doesn’t clean oil off your hands)
Vitamin CapsulesAntihistaminesPursesShoes
DashboardsCortisoneDeodorantFootballs
PuttyDyesPanty HoseRefrigerant
PercolatorsLife JacketsRubbing AlcoholLinings
SkisTV CabinetsShag RugsElectrician’s Tape
Tool RacksCar Battery CasesEpoxyPaint
MopsSlacksInsect RepellentOil Filters
UmbrellasYarnFertilizersHair Coloring
RoofingToilet SeatsFishing RodsLipstick
Denture AdhesiveLinoleumIce Cube TraysSynthetic Rubber
SpeakersPlastic WoodElectric BlanketsGlycerin
Tennis RacketsRubber CementFishing BootsDice
Nylon RopeCandlesTrash BagsHouse Paint
Water PipesHand LotionRoller SkatesSurf Boards
ShampooWheelsPaint RollersShower Curtains
Guitar StringsLuggageAspirinSafety Glasses
AntifreezeFootball HelmetsAwningsEyeglasses (I thought they were made from glass)
ClothesToothbrushesIce ChestsFootballs
CombsCD’s & DVD’sPaint BrushesDetergents
VaporizersBalloonsSun GlassesTents
Heart ValvesCrayonsParachutesTelephones
EnamelPillowsDishesCameras
AnestheticsArtificial TurfArtificial limbsBandages
DenturesModel CarsFolding DoorsHair Curlers
Cold creamMovie filmSoft Contact lensesDrinking Cups
Fan BeltsCar EnamelShaving CreamAmmonia
RefrigeratorsGolf BallsToothpaste (Yuck)Gasoline

While there will be a number of industries that benefit from lower oil prices, it isn’t usually an immediate effect. It takes time for input prices to filter through the corporate supply chain and the economy.

Given the large drop in oil prices, this should give you some ideas about areas that could benefit from these lower prices. Investing in the oil sector may require some caution. My thought is to be careful of catching a falling knife on oil prices. There will eventually be some great bargains in the oil and gas energy sector, but patience is always a virtue. Look elsewhere to related industries.