Fuel Production & Quality
Overview
Through distillation and a series of chemical processes the crude oil molecules are broken, reshaped and recombined into value-added products like:
- Transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel
- Home heating oil
- Lubricants
- Heavy fuel oil
- Asphalt for roads
- Petro-chemical feedstocks, that are further transformed into hundreds of consumer goods and products from plastics, to textile fibres, to pharmaceuticals.
View a more detailed description of the refining process.
Innovation at work
Over the past 40 years, the number of Canadian refineries has decreased, while the capacity of existing refineries has increased. This is because small, less efficient facilities have been replaced with more efficient, expanded facilities. These improvements have been made possible by the new technologies, processes and equipment that result from ongoing research and development in industry.
Canada’s Refining Sector
Canada produces about 110 billion litres of refined petroleum products annually, and CFA members account for virtually all of this output, operating 16 refineries from coast to coast. This map provides a full view of the Canadian refining landscape, including both CFA member and non-member facilities.
For CFA members’ contact information, please visit the Who We Are section.
Fuel Quality
Fuels are constantly improving thanks to research and innovation. Some of the improvements in recent years include:
- Higher octane ratings
- Improved stability to help reduce the formation of impurities in the fuel
- Improved distillation characteristics, for smoother driving and steady acceleration
- Modified formulations to reduce the smog forming potential and toxicity of unburned fuel
- Reduced sulphur levels and the elimination of lead to increase the effectiveness of vehicle emissions control systems
- Reduced volatility to reduce evaporative emissions from vehicles
- Deposit control additives to minimize emissions from engines due to deposit formation in the intake manifold, on engine valves, or in combustion chambers.
Does more need to be done? Absolutely. Canada’s refineries are committed to continuous improvement so that today’s transportation fuels are cleaner tomorrow.
