• An oil refinery is a facility that refines crude oil into various useful petroleum products such as gasoline, kerosene, or jet fuel.

  • Refining is classified as a downstream activity of the oil and gas industry, although many integrated oil companies provide both upstream and downstream services.
  • Refineries and oil traders look to the crack spread, the relative difference in the cost of production and the market price of various petroleum products in the derivatives market, to hedge their exposure to crude oil prices.