From Ground to Pump - The Journey of Fuel

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Have you ever wondered how the fuel you put in your car at the petrol station actually gets there? From earth to pump, what happens on that journey?

The journey often starts with a search for crude oil, possibly in North America or in the North Sea. When crude oil is located, a rig is constructed to drill for the oil. Once the oil is on land, vast piping systems or railways are used to transport the crude oil to refineries.

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At the refinery, the crude product is ‘refined’ into products that can be used in our everyday lives. Crude oil becomes petrol, gasoline, propane and other petroleum products for use in plastics, for example.

Ethanol is added to the oil. This is part of environmental regulations aimed at reducing smog by increasing the octane level of the fuel (oxygenating). Fuel companies will test this product to ensure it meets environmental protection regulations and industry standards.

From the refinery, the product is piped or shipped to terminals where individual fuel companies might apply their own ingredients, such as detergent to help keep parts clean, such as valves, fuel injectors and other engine components. For those who use a lot of fuel, consider a BP Fuel Card from https://www.fuelcardservices.com/fuel-cards/bp-fuel-cards

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Once the fuel has been inspected, it is loaded onto oil trucks for delivery to the vast networks of petrol stations around the country. Each truck has separate compartments to keep the different types of fuel separate. On arrival, the tanker unloads via pipes into the corresponding storage tank. When a motorist draws on a pump, the fuel is piped from that storage tank!