“Crude oil refers to the liquid hydrocarbons that are formed within the Earth through the transformation of organic matter and stored within porous rocks.” Literature provides the following answer to the question "What is crude oil?" Let's elaborate on this a bit further. Crude oil is a type of petroleum found accumulated in various porous rock formations within the Earth's crust and is extracted for burning as fuel or for processing into chemical products. Traded on global markets both as spot oil and through derivative contracts, crude oil holds the status of a global commodity. Many economists consider crude oil to be the most important commodity in the world, as it currently serves as the primary source of energy production. Of course, we must make this note here, underlined: Crude oil is a “non-renewable” resource. It cannot be naturally replenished at the rate we consume it, and therefore it is finite.

How is crude oil processed?
Crude oil is processed in refineries and transformed into various petroleum products. At this stage of our article, we will focus on how this processing is done. But before we get to that, let's dedicate a separate paragraph to the refineries where this process takes place.

We can answer the question "What is a refinery?" as "an industrial process plant where crude oil is refined and transformed into more usable products such as asphalt, heating oil, fuel oil, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas." The modern versions of refineries, whose potential can be increased with details utilizing technological innovations, can process more than 800,000 barrels of oil per day.

Crude oil processing refers to the process of refining crude oil into various petroleum products. The crude oil distillation unit (CDU), which takes its place as the first processing unit in almost all oil refineries, distills the incoming crude oil into its various fractions at different boiling ranges. Each of these fractions is then processed in other units. The CDU is often known as the atmospheric distillation unit because it operates at slightly above atmospheric pressure. The distillation process aims to separate crude oil into broad categories of its component hydrocarbons or fractions. The crude oil is first heated and then subjected to a temperature of about 398°C in a fuel-fired furnace. It is directed to a distillation column, also known as a still, where a wide variety of products are boiled and recovered at different temperatures. After this, the cooling and condensing of the top of the distillation column is ensured as follows: It is partially heat exchanged with the incoming crude oil and the process is completed with an air or water-cooled condenser. The fractions withdrawn from the side of the distillation column, at various points between the top and bottom, are called side cuts. Each of the side cuts is cooled by heat exchange with the incoming crude oil. All fractions are sent to storage tanks for further processing.

After the distillation processes;
●    Up to 150 degrees, raw gasoline is obtained,
●    Between 150-250 degrees, jet fuel is obtained,
●    Between 250-350 degrees, diesel fuel is obtained,
●    After 350 degrees, heavy oils are obtained.
 
What Are the Products Obtained from Processed Crude Oil?
From crude oil that is refined and processed in refineries; 43% gasoline, 18% fuel oil and diesel, 11% LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), 9% jet fuel, 5% asphalt and 14% other products are obtained. Some of the main products that can be obtained from crude oil can be given as follows:
"From crude oil that is refined and processed in refineries; 43% gasoline, 18% fuel oil and diesel, 11% LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), 9% jet fuel, 5% asphalt and 14% other products are obtained."
 
·        Gasoline (Petrol): Used as fuel for cars, trucks, and other gasoline-powered vehicles.
·        Gas Oil (Diesel): Used as fuel for diesel-powered vehicles such as trucks, buses, ships, and generators.
·        Jet Fuel (Kerosene): Used as fuel for commercial and military aircraft.
·        Fuel Oil: Used for industrial heating, power generation, and marine fuel.
·        Naphtha: A raw material used in the petrochemical industry to produce products such as ethylene and propylene. Used in the production of benzene, toluene, xylene, and other petrochemicals.
·        LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas): A fuel used in homes, industry, and vehicles.
·        Bitumen: A construction material used in road construction.
·        Paraffin: A compound used for candles, cosmetic products, and other industrial applications.
·        Asphalt: A material used in road construction and waterproofing.
·        Aromatics: Chemicals like benzene, toluene, and xylene, used in the production of various industrial and consumer products.
·        Gas Oil: Used as a raw material for plastics, fertilizers, medicines, cleaning products, and other petrochemicals.
These are just some of the main products that can be obtained from crude oil, and the variety may vary depending on the refinery's technological capabilities and market demands. However, it is not possible to think of the whole process only in terms of fuel. There are other uses for crude oil. More than 6,000 products are made from petroleum waste by-products. Some of these are; fertilizer, linoleum, perfume, deodorant, insecticide, petroleum jelly, soap, vitamin capsules, ink, tires, all kinds of plastic, computers, ammonia, sterilization/cleaning materials.
What is the Role of Crude Oil in the Petrochemical Industry?
We previously shared an article about the raw materials of the petrochemical industry. The use of fossil resources as raw materials in the transition to industrial production has a significant share in the sector. Naphtha, a product produced as a result of the processing of crude oil in refineries to obtain fuels such as LPG, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and fuel oil, has become the basic raw material of the petrochemical industry. Naphtha is defined as a type of light hydrocarbon used in the production of various petrochemical products. Naphtha obtained from oil refineries is used in the production of many products such as plastics, resins, solvents, fertilizers, medicines, paints and coatings. Therefore, naphtha has a strategic importance for the petrochemical industry.
Meeting 18% of Türkiye's Processed Petroleum Product Needs Single-Handedly: STAR Refinery
The STAR Refinery, the largest refinery project in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, single-handedly meets approximately 18% of Türkiye's processed crude oil product needs. STAR Refinery, Türkiye's only refinery company with refinery-petrochemical integration, has an annual crude oil processing volume of 12 million tons. STAR Refinery, which went down in the records as the first company in Türkiye to have a Strategic Investment Incentive Certificate, provides a significant decrease in petroleum product imports. The products we will list in response to the question "So what are STAR Refinery's production items?" are of strategic importance. We can immediately list naphtha and reformate, which are important raw materials for the petrochemical industry. Along with these, petroleum products such as diesel, jet fuel, LPG, sulfur, and petroleum coke, which constitute critical items in the current account deficit, constitute other items on the production list.