How a Column Sorts Crude Oil
In short: How a distillation column uses differences in boiling point to sort crude oil into fractions, and why that is only the first step in a refinery.
A 1:57 short film in the series “How Things Work”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Crude oil | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts”; North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS Newsletter, Vol. 31, No. 1; article by John Bluemle and Lorraine Manz), “sum 03a”; University of Oklahoma, School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering (course notes, ChE 5480), “Microsoft Word - Petroleum Fractionation-Overview.doc”; Al-Mustaqbal University College (Iraq), Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Industries Department: Fuel Technology lecture notes, “MUCLecture_2023_1298443.pdf”; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “Vacuum distillation is a key part of the petroleum refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)”; Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, John A. Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence (FSC 432 Petroleum Processing course, Dr. Semih Eser), “Lesson 4: Separation Processes 1”; Al-Mustaqbal University (lecture notes, Mass Transfer, Lecture No. 2, Dr. Alaa D. Jawad Al-Bayati; text reproduced from a chemical engineering textbook), “MUCLecture_2022_42233527.pdf”; Passer Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Garmian (article by Al-Asadi et al., Southern Technical University and South Refineries Company, Basra, 2026), “10.24271/psr.2026.582892.2847.pdf”; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “Refining crude oil - the refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)”; U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), “Refining crude oil - inputs and outputs - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)”.
Sources used in this film
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Crude oil | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts · View →
- North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS Newsletter, Vol. 31, No. 1; article by John Bluemle and Lorraine Manz) — sum 03a · View →
- University of Oklahoma, School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering (course notes, ChE 5480) — Microsoft Word - Petroleum Fractionation-Overview.doc · View →
- Al-Mustaqbal University College (Iraq), Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Industries Department: Fuel Technology lecture notes — MUCLecture_2023_1298443.pdf · View →
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Vacuum distillation is a key part of the petroleum refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) · View →
- Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, John A. Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence (FSC 432 Petroleum Processing course, Dr. Semih Eser) — Lesson 4: Separation Processes 1 · View →
- Al-Mustaqbal University (lecture notes, Mass Transfer, Lecture No. 2, Dr. Alaa D. Jawad Al-Bayati; text reproduced from a chemical engineering textbook) — MUCLecture_2022_42233527.pdf · View →
- Passer Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Garmian (article by Al-Asadi et al., Southern Technical University and South Refineries Company, Basra, 2026) — 10.24271/psr.2026.582892.2847.pdf · View →
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Refining crude oil - the refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) · View →
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Refining crude oil - inputs and outputs - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Encyclopaedia Britannica: Crude oil | Definition, Characteristics, & Facts
- Also: North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS Newsletter, Vol. 31, No. 1; article by John Bluemle and Lorraine Manz): sum 03a
- Also: University of Oklahoma, School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering (course notes, ChE 5480): Microsoft Word - Petroleum Fractionation-Overview.doc
- Also: Al-Mustaqbal University College (Iraq), Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Industries Department: Fuel Technology lectur: MUCLecture_2023_1298443.pdf
- Also: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): Vacuum distillation is a key part of the petroleum refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
- Also: Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, John A. Dutton Institute for Teaching and Learning Excellence (FSC 432: Lesson 4: Separation Processes 1
- Also: Al-Mustaqbal University (lecture notes, Mass Transfer, Lecture No. 2, Dr. Alaa D. Jawad Al-Bayati; text reproduced from : MUCLecture_2022_42233527.pdf
- Also: Passer Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Garmian (article by Al-Asadi et al., Southern Technical Univ: 10.24271/psr.2026.582892.2847.pdf
- Also: www.eia.gov — Refining crude oil - the refining process - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
- Also: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA): Refining crude oil - inputs and outputs - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
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