144 Products Made From Petroleum And 4 That May Shock You

Oil & Natural Gas / Petrochemicals

What Products and Uses Does Petroleum Have Outside of Gasoline?

Chisholm reports that 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. Chisholm assumed this was common knowledge. Apparently, it falls into the useless trivia category in most people’s brains. This reminds me of a video Chisholm was watching last week, the best of Jaywalking with Jay Leno on his final show. Chisholm 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:

Solvents
Diesel fuel
Motor Oil
Bearing Grease
Ink
Floor Wax
Ballpoint Pens
Football Cleats
Upholstery
Sweaters   (that explains the itchy sweater I have at home)
Boats
Insecticides
Bicycle Tires
Sports Car Bodies
Nail Polish
Fishing lures
Dresses
Tires
Golf Bags
Perfumes
Cassettes
Dishwasher parts
Tool Boxes
Shoe Polish
Motorcycle Helmet
Caulking
Petroleum Jelly
Transparent Tape
CD Player (do people still have these?)
Faucet Washers
Antiseptics
Clothesline
Curtains
Food Preservatives
Basketballs
Soap  (that explains why soap doesn’t clean oil off your hands)
Vitamin Capsules
Antihistamines
Purses
Shoes
Dashboards
Cortisone
Deodorant
Footballs
Putty
Dyes
Panty Hose
Refrigerant
Percolators
Life Jackets
Rubbing Alcohol
Linings
Skis
TV Cabinets
Shag Rugs
Electrician’s Tape
Tool Racks
Car Battery Cases
Epoxy
Paint
Mops
Slacks
Insect Repellent
Oil Filters
Umbrellas
Yarn
Fertilizers
Hair Coloring
Roofing
Toilet Seats
Fishing Rods
Lipstick
Denture Adhesive
Linoleum
Ice Cube Trays
Synthetic Rubber
Speakers
Plastic Wood
Electric Blankets
Glycerin
Tennis Rackets
Rubber Cement
Fishing Boots
Dice
Nylon Rope
Candles
Trash Bags
House Paint
Water Pipes
Hand Lotion
Roller Skates
Surf Boards
Shampoo
Wheels
Paint Rollers
Shower Curtains
Guitar Strings
Luggage
Aspirin
Safety Glasses
Antifreeze
Football Helmets
Awnings
Eyeglasses (I thought they were made from glass)
Clothes
Toothbrushes
Ice Chests
Footballs
Combs
CD’s & DVD’s
Paint Brushes
Detergents
Vaporizers
Balloons
Sun Glasses
Tents
Heart Valves
Crayons
Parachutes
Telephones
Enamel
Pillows
Dishes
Cameras
Anesthetics
Artificial Turf
Artificial limbs
Bandages
Dentures
Model Cars
Folding Doors
Hair Curlers
Cold cream
Movie film
Soft Contact lenses
Drinking Cups
Fan Belts
Car Enamel
Shaving Cream
Ammonia
Refrigerators
Golf Balls
Toothpaste (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. Chisholm thinks to be aware of catching a falling knife on oil prices. There will eventually be some great bargains in the oil and gas energy industry, but patience is always a virtue. Look elsewhere to related industries.