Where petroleum meets you - the consumer
The downstream industry is where petroleum meets you - the
consumer. The downstream industry includes crude oil refineries,
gas processing plants, petrochemical plants, transportation
networks (truck, rail, pipeline and marine), retail gas stations
and natural gas distribution companies. Downstream also includes
the sales and marketing of refined petroleum products to
wholesalers, industrial and commercial customers.
There are 18 refineries across Canada, which are hard at work
transforming crude oil from the upstream sector, into the
petroleum products for individual and commercial consumers. The
average full product petroleum refinery in Canada can process over
293,000 cubic metres per day of heavy and light crude oil.
For more information on the downstream oil and gas sector,
visit:
Products
The downstream sector provides the thousands of products we use
in our everyday lives and there are about 3,000 products made from
petroleum. From the moment your alarm wakes you up, you brush your
teeth, slip on your runners and pump up the tires on your bike, you
are using petroleum products. Here are just a few of the thousands
of products you may use that are made from oil and gas:
Transportation
- Gasoline, motor oil, lubricants,
dashboards, windshield wipers, steering wheels, floor mats,
asphalt, construction cones.
- Fuel for planes and
ships.
Household Items
- Natural gas for hot water tanks,
clothes dryers and barbecues.
- Outdoor items such as garden tools,
lawn furniture, artificial turf, paints, fertilizers,
hoses.
- Household items including piano keys,
Venetian blinds, rugs, plastic containers, candles, flooring,
flashlights, lamps, cleansers, dusters, mops, foam
pillows.
Leisure and Entertainment
- Sporting gear such as inline skates,
skis, tents, sunglasses, helmets, runners.
- Electronics like cameras, digital
music players, computers, TVs.
Apparel and Accessories
- Clothing like polar fleece,
polyester, vinyl, shoes, boots, belts, badges, purses.
Medical and Personal Hygiene
- Personal items including toothpaste,
toothbrushes, lip balm, lipstick, bubble gum.
- Medical items such as gloves,
syringes, medicines, containers, equipment.
- And much more!