However, most petroleum is refined to produce such fuels as gasoline, diesel oil, and kerosene. Gasoline is used to provide energy for most motor vehicles and piston-engine airplanes. Diesel oil powers most trains, ships, and large trucks. Kerosene provides energy for jet airplanes. Other fuel oils obtained by refining petroleum include distillate oils and residual oils.
Distillate oils are light oils, which are used chiefly to heat homes and small buildings.
Residual oils are heavy, thick oils. They provide energy to power utilities, factories, and large ships. They also are used to heat large buildings. Such fuels are processed mainly in areas where one type of fuel is abundant, but other vital fuels are scarce. For example, South Africa has several large plants that make gasoline from coal.