# 2 oil questions
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 15, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346 "2002-10-15T16:14:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346/1 "2002-10-15T16:14:04Z")
I always get stuck with the weird questions at work. Last week it was tessellating pentagons, this week I have to come up with this in a hurry:
1. What is the percentage breakdown of oil used, by barrel, for different products (gasoline, plastics, other key petroleum products)?
2. What is average the fuel mileage of a 747?
If anybody knows this stuff off the top of their head, or has a good link directly under fingertips, this will save me a lot of research. If not, well, I believe I remember where to find the library. š
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346/2 "2002-10-15T16:35:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> 1. What is average the fuel mileage of a 747?
Itās not the plane, itās the engines. However, using the info [here](http://www.boeing.com/commercial/747family/technical.html), I calculate it (using range divided by fuel capacity) at roughly 0.12 nautical miles per gallon.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346/3 "2002-10-15T16:52:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Engywook \*
>
> 1. What is the percentage breakdown of oil used, by barrel, for different products (gasoline, plastics, other key petroleum products)?
If youāll accept _World Book_ as a source, hereās what Iāve found:
Of all crude oil, 45% is refined into gasoline, 7% into diesel fuel, and 7% into jet fuel; 26% for heating oils of one type or another; 13% āas raw materials in manufacturing,ā including petrochemicals for plastics; 2% for other uses.
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### Author:  [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346/4 "2002-10-15T16:58:39Z")
Thank you very much. That would be the exact information I needā¦ hope I can return the favor sooner or later.
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### Author:  [@andy\_fl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andy_fl)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-oil-questions/132346/5 "2002-10-15T16:58:52Z")
OK Engy, the answer is not straightforward, but iāll try to make it as simple as possible :
1\> Around 20% if you just do plain crude distillation. Around 60% if you go through Vacuum distillation and Catalytic Cracking and the like. Here - [http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil\_gas/petroleum/analysis\_publications/oil\_market\_basics/Refining\_text.htm#Crude](http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/oil_market_basics/Refining_text.htm#Crude) Oil Quality
I will point out that how much crude gets converted to gas depends on the refinery and the demand. If farmers need more deisel then more deisel is made than gasoline, or if downstream demand is more (for making polymers etc. like plastic, clothing material etc.) that is given preference.
2\> Fuel consumption depends upon the weight of the aircraft + payload. See here for 747 - [http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc/aviation/124.htm](http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc/aviation/124.htm)
Hope that helps