What We Use Oil And Natural Gas For (& The Sectors & Countries That Consume The Most)

Below, we outline what we use oil and natural gas for across society.

We identify some everyday uses of each, and also identify the sectors/industries and countries that might consume the most petroleum and natural gas.

 

Summary – What We Use Oil & Natural Gas For Across Society, & The Sectors & Countries Consume The Most

What We Use Oil For

One of the main uses for oil is in petroleum fuel products for transport and vehicles, with gasoline being one of the most consumed petroleum products in the US

However, we use oil for other things too, and we list those things in the guide below

 

What We Use Natural Gas For

Some of the main uses for natural gas are for electricity generation, and also for industrial uses, such as heating, combined heating and power systems, and as a feedstock (raw material) to produce various materials and products

However, we use natural gas for other things too, and we list those things in the guide below

 

The Prevalence Of Oil & Natural Gas In Our Everyday Lives

To illustrate the number of everyday things that use fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, or coal in some way, some reports indicate that we use fossil fuels in 96% of the things we use everyday.

 

Sectors That Use The Most Oil & Natural Gas – Worldwide 

Transportation, and heating and energy, are the two sectors that use the most oil and gas on a global scale

 

Sectors That Use The Most Petroleum – United States

The transportation sector by far uses the most petroleum of all sectors in the US

 

Sectors That Use The Most Natural Gas – United States

Electric power consumes the most natural gas of all sectors in the US, followed closely by industrial

 

Countries That Consume The Most Petroleum

The US appears to consume the most petroleum, followed by China

 

Countries That Consume The Most Natural Gas

The US consumes the most total natural gas by a significant margin, followed by Russia

Per capita consumption by country may vary though

 

Projections For Petroleum Consumption In The Future – United States

Some reports project petroleum consumption to increase in the US in the future, at least up until the year 2050

 

Projections For Natural Gas Demand In The Future – Worldwide

Several reports also indicate that natural gas demand is also expected to increase in the future across several countries

 

Where Oil Comes From, & How It’s Processed

Oil comes from the raw material/raw resource called ‘crude oil’

Crude oil is formed underground over millions of years when pressure and heat compress different organic material (such as the remains of different organisms, plants, and more)

Unprocessed crude oil is extracted via oil drilling 

After crude oil has been extracted, the by-products/components are then separated by refining and distillation.

These by-products of crude oil and other liquids can then be processed into different products and materials, which are used for different purposes

Some of the products that use crude oil by-products are referred to as ‘petroleum products’

 

Uses For Oil

Oil Used For Energy (& Fuel)

Oil is most commonly used for energy and fuel

The most common use of oil is in petroleum based fuels for transport and the propulsion of vehicles (like cars, trucks and planes)

Gasoline might be one of the most common petroleum fuel products

Oil can also be used for energy for the generation of electricity at oil fired power plants (where refined oil is used)

Oil may also be used for heating

Combustion might be the most common way oil is used for energy

 

The Overall Importance Of Oil As An Energy Source

Oil might be one of the most important energy sources

It can make up one of the largest shares of primary energy use in some countries, with the US being one example of this

 

According to eia.gov:

Petroleum has historically been the largest major energy source for total annual U.S. energy consumption.

 

Other Uses For Oil (Other Than Energy & Fuel)

Apart from fuel and energy, the refined by-products of crude oil are used for a range of everyday products and services

Examples of these these products and services may include: 

– Asphalt and road oil

 

– Lubricants like oil and grease that are used in manufacturing, and also in agriculture, for farming equipment

 

– Plastics

The production of plastics begins with the distillation of crude oil in an oil refinery

 

– Clothing and textiles

Synthetic fibres can be petroleum based

 

– The petrochemical industry uses petroleum as a raw material (a feedstock) to make a range of other products

Such as chemicals, solvents, polyurethane, waxes, toiletries like shampoos, shaving cream, and soap, bandages, and many other intermediate and end-user goods

 

Even some renewable energy equipment, like some solar panels and wind turbines, use oil

 

– Other products

ranken-energy.com has a partial list of 6000 items that are made in some way from petroleum

 

Most Consumed Petroleum Products In The US

Finished motor gasoline is the most consumed petroleum product in the US

 

From eia.gov, in 2021:

[Finished motor gasoline] is the most consumed petroleum product in the United States [and] was equal to about 44% of total U.S. petroleum consumption.

[This was followed by distillate fuel oil (diesel fuel and heating oil) at 20%, hydrocarbon gas liquids at 17%, and kerosene type jet fuel like jet fuel and aviation gasoline at 7%]

 

eia.gov has a full list of the most consumed petroleum product in the US in their report

 

Where Does Natural Gas Come From?

Natural gas is a fossil fuel.

It’s formed from decayed organic material transformed by high temperatures and pressures over millions of years into bubbles of methane gas.

It’s usually extracted for use via drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

 

Uses For Natural Gas

Main Uses For Natural Gas

One of the main uses for natural gas might be electricity generation (and thermal output) at steam turbines and gas turbines

This electricity/power is mostly used by other sectors (outside of the electricity generation sector)

The other main uses for natural gas are in the industrial sector

These industrial uses can include:

– Heating

Natural gas can be used as a source of heat in steel production for melting pig iron into steel

Also, boilers used in paper manufacturing can be gas or oil boilers

These are just a few examples

 

– Combined heating and power systems

 

– As feedstock (raw material)

To produce/manufacture various materials and products, such as chemicals, fertilizer, plastic, synthetic fibres, cosmetics and medicines, hydrogen, and as lease and plant fuel

We’ve written about the use of natural gas in the production of hydrogen for hydrogen fuel in a separate guide

 

The Overall Importance Of Natural Gas As An Energy Source

Along with oil (petroleum), natural gas currently makes up the largest share of primary energy use in the US

So, it’s fair to say it’s an important energy source in some countries

 

Other Uses For Natural Gas

Other general uses for natural gas might be:

– Heating

Both residentially and commercially, for space heating of buildings, and water heating

Some reports indicate that natural gas is used for heating in almost half of all homes in the US

 

– Cogeneration, and also trigeneration

Cogeneration is combined heat and power

Trigeneration is the combination of electricity, heating and cooling

 

– Refrigeration and cooling equipment (such as air conditioning)

 

– For transportation

As a fuel to operate compressors, and also as a vehicle fuel (such as CNG and LNG)

Although, natural gas as a fuel in transportation might only make up a small % share of all fuels compared to petroleum based fuel products like gasoline

 

The Utility Of Natural Gas As A Potential ‘Transitionary’ Energy Source Of The Future

Natural gas is an interesting energy source as it appears that some major countries like the US have already begun somewhat of a transition to using more natural gas, and less coal

It’s been labelled a ‘transitionary energy source’ by some groups as a result

Part of the reason natural gas is being used in this way may have to do with natural gas emitting less greenhouse gases than coal

 

Sectors That Use The Most Oil & Natural Gas – Worldwide

Transportation, and heating and energy, are the two sectors that use the most oil and gas on a global scale

 

From theconversation.com:

[The sectors with the highest] annual use of oil and gas worldwide [are]:

[Transportation in first at 45%]

[Heating & Energy was second at 42%]

[They are followed by ‘Other’ in third at 5%, Chemicals at 4%, and Plastics at 4%]

 

Sectors That Use The Most Petroleum – United States

The transportation sector by far uses the most petroleum of all sectors in the US

 

From eia.gov:

In 2017, petroleum consumption by sector and share of total consumption was:

[Transportation in first at 14.02 million barrels per day (b/d), which equates to a 71% share of the total consumption]

[Industrial was second at 4.76 million b/d for a 24% share]

[Residential was third at 0.52 million b/d and 3%, Commercial at 0.47 million b/d and 2%, and Electric power at 0.10 million b/d and 1%]

 

Sectors That Use The Most Natural Gas – United States

Electric power consumes the most natural gas of all sectors in the US, followed closely by industrial

The residential sector, and also the commercial sector follow behind them by a notable margin

 

From eia.gov:

[In 2021 in the United States, the sectors that consumed the most natural gas as a % share of total natural gas consumption were:]

[Electric power in first at 37%]

[Industrial in second at 33%]

[Third was residential at 15%, fourth was commercial at 11%, and fifth was transportation at 4%]

 

In their report, eia.gov also lists the five largest natural gas consuming States in the US.

Texas is currently the largest consumer of natural gas.

 

Countries That Consume The Most Petroleum

The US appears to consume the most petroleum, followed by China

 

From eia.gov:

In 2015, the countries that consumed the most petroleum were:

[United States was first at 20.5%]

[This was followed by China at 12.6%, Japan at 4.3%, India at 4.3%, and Russia at 3.7%]

 

Countries That Consume The Most Natural Gas

The US by far consumes the most natural gas, followed by Russia

 

According to world.bymap.org, the countries that consume the most natural gas (in total cubic metres consumed) are:

[United States consumes 767,600,000 thousand cubic metres]

[Russia consumes 467,500,000 thousand cubic metres]

[China consumes 238,600,000 thousand cubic metres]

[Iran consumes 206,900,000 thousand cubic metres]

[Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Germany are behind Iran]

 

world.bymap.org has a full table and map, showing total consumption, as well as per capita consumption

 

What Are Projections For Petroleum Consumption In The Future? – United States

Petroleum consumption is projected to increase in the US by the year 2050

 

eia.gov indicates that:

[In the United States …] Total consumption levels of petroleum and other liquids are projected to be about 14% greater in 2050 than in 2021.

 

What Are Projections For Natural Gas Demand In The Future?

Several reports indicate that natural gas demand might only grow in the future in several countries

Some of the reasons for this might be that countries want:

– A cheap, high capacity energy source to meet their growing energy needs

– A ‘cleaner’ energy source that emits less greenhouse gases than coal or petroleum 

 

environmentalscience.org indicates:

Natural gas is a growing industry

… consumption is growing every year and the EIA projects it will have doubled by 2040.

 

How Much Oil & Natural Gas Do We Have Left?

We put together these guides which provide more information on much of each resource we might have left:

How Much Oil Is Left In The World

How Much Natural Gas Is Left In The World

 

 

 

Sources

1. https://theconversation.com/the-world-of-plastics-in-numbers-100291 

2. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=oil_use

3. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/what-sectors-use-the-most-natural-gas/

4. http://world.bymap.org/NaturalGasConsumption.html

5. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/use-of-oil.php

6. https://www.biltmoreoil.com/5-common-uses-of-oil

7. https://www.capp.ca/oil/uses-for-oil/

8. https://www.ranken-energy.com/index.php/products-made-from-petroleum/

9. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/use-of-natural-gas.php

10. https://group.met.com/en/media/energy-insight/what-is-natural-gas-used-for

11. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/

12. https://www.environmentalscience.org/natural-gas

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