What do We Use Oil For

Did you know 10% of the global oil production is carried out in United States of America? Of this, America accounts for 23% of global oil consumption. To fulfill requirement, America needs to buy oil from other countries that also produce oil on a larger scale. But what do we use oil for?? We all know that oil is used for cars, trucks, other automobiles, etc. Let us see what do we need oil for in detail.

What do We Need Oil for
As you already know, two-thirds of oil in US is used for transportation. The question is what we use oil for, apart from transportation? Oil is used to produce products that are used in industry and for residential use. Oil is used for making oil based lubricants that are used in both, homes and industries. It is also used to produce electricity. In some regions, oil is used to heat homes and residential areas during cold climates. Are these just the only uses of oil? No, there are a few more ways in which oil is used.

The most common thing in our lives is plastic. Without plastic we probably won't survive. Right from the Apple iPhone in your hand, to the plastic jacket you use to cover yourself from the maddening rain, is plastic. If we were to get rid of all the plastic in the world, we will still be discussing uses of oil.

Apart from plastic, you have ample number of things around the house that uses oil. Just a simple example, the toothpaste you use daily, is made up of a type of petroleum compound. Not only your toothpaste, so does your shampoo, soap, shaving cream, deodorant, perfumes, nail polish, nail polish remover, all have some or the other type of petroleum compounds like crude oil or natural gas included in the ingredients.

Other than this, we need oil to make medications that help save lives. We also use oil in production of fertilizers, pesticides, etc. And then we come back to square one. All these essential commodities are transported thousands of miles through helicopters, trucks, buses, cars, ships, etc. These modes of transportation all work on, you guessed it right, oil.

Other uses of oil includes, use as fuel in form of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, kerosene, jet fuel and fuel oils. It is used as lubricants for motor oils, greases, machine oils, etc. Bulk tar, asphalt, paraffin wax, petroleum coke, aromatic petrochemicals, etc. are also products made from oil.

History of Oil
Oil or petroleum products have been used by man since ancient times. However, as man followed a simple lifestyle, the uses of oil too were limited to simple things. Asphalt was used over 4000 years ago for construction of walls and towers in the city of Babylon. The Persians are thought to have used oil in medicines as well as for lighting purposes. It was also used as a waterproofing material for ships.

Ignacy Lukasiewicz, invented kerosene by distillation of petroleum in 1850. It was henceforth used as a substitute for whale oil. The uses of oil became more and more complex with the invention of internal combustion engine, plastic and commercial aviation. Today, the oil consumption in US by sector is as follows:

• Transportation: 66%
• Industrial: 25%
• Residential: 4%
• Commercial: 2%
• Electric power: 3%

This was all about history of oil and what do we need oil for. With the advancement in technology, there is a significant increase in uses of oil. However, scientists are working towards finding an alternative for use of oil. The two main reasons being depletion of oil reserves around the world, and global warming. Other than these two reasons, the rising cost of oil is forcing people to find an alternative. Hope, the above paragraphs on what do we use oil for has helped you understand the different uses of petroleum and petroleum products.