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Frequently Asked Questions – Gasoline
Questions About Gasoline...
Why are retail gasoline prices so high?
Can I tell which country the gasoline at my local station comes from?
How many retail gasoline stations are there in the U.S.?
How many gallons of gasoline does one barrel of oil make?
What are the products and uses of petroleum?
 
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Visit our Petroleum Basics 101 page to learn about gasoline and other petroleum-based fuels.

Textbook titled Petroleum Basics 101
 
 
Question: Why are retail gasoline prices so high?

EIA analysis of the petroleum market points to the cost of crude oil as the main contributor to the record high gasoline prices that we are now experiencing.

The cost of crude oil now accounts for almost 70% of the gasoline pump price. World crude oil prices are at record highs due mainly to high worldwide oil demand relative to supply. Other factors contributing to higher prices include political events and conflicts in some major oil producing regions, as well as other factors such as the declining value of the U.S. dollar (the currency at which crude oil is traded globally).

Learn More: Gasoline prices are often the main topic of This Week In Petroleum. The February 27 edition discusses how crude oil prices are affecting gasoline prices. For EIA's latest gasoline price forecast, please see our Short-Term Energy Outlook.
Last updated: April 29, 2008
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Question: Can I tell which country the gasoline at my local station comes from?

The Energy Information Administration does not collect data on the source of gasoline sold at retail outlets. Several factors make it difficult to say where gasoline at a local station originated:
At a local station, a company may sell gasoline that was not produced by its own refineries.
Gasoline from different refineries, owned by different companies, is often combined for shipment by pipeline.  Many companies may purchase gasoline at the same bulk terminal.
The source of the crude oil used at a company's refinery varies daily. Most refiners use a mix of crude oils from domestic and foreign sources based on the oils’ cost and availability.
Learn More: EIA’s Primer on Gasoline Sources and Markets
Last reviewed: April 17, 2008
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Question: How many retail gasoline stations are there in the U.S.?

There are approximately 167,000 retail gasoline outlets in the United States.

Learn More: Statistics on U.S. gas stations: “Fuels and Fueling: A Market Correction”
Last updated: April 15, 2008
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Question: How many gallons of gasoline does one barrel of oil make?

One barrel (42 gallons) of crude oil, when refined, yields approximately 19.6 gallons of finished motor gasoline. The remainder of the barrel yields distillate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, jet fuel, and other products.

Learn More: Products made from oil
Last reviewed: April 17, 2008
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Question: What are the products and uses of petroleum?

The most common products from petroleum are energy products: gasoline, heating oil, and diesel fuel. Other petroleum products are: ink, crayons, bubble gum, dishwashing liquids, deodorant, eyeglasses, records, tires, ammonia, and heart valves.

A barrel of oil yields these refined products (percent of barrel):
47% gasoline for use in automobiles
23% heating oil and diesel fuel
18% other products, which includes petrochemical feedstock—products derived from petroleum principally for the manufacturing  of chemicals, synthetic rubber and plastics
10% jet fuel
4% propane
3% asphalt
(Percentages equal more than 100 because of an approximately 5% processing gain from refining.)
Learn More: Products made from oil
Last reviewed: April 17, 2008
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