Crude oil is initially heated in the refinery furnace, most of which turns to vapour before passing into the bottom of the column. Different fractions (of crude oil) condense at different heights.
Fractions that condense towards the bottom of the columns have much longer carbon chains and have higher boiling temperatures. Examples of such fractions include bitumen and fuel oil.
Inversely, fractions that are found near the top of the column have smaller carbon chains and have lower boiling temperatures such as refinery gas and petrol, to name a few.
Seeing as worldwide demand for energy gradually increases with population, it's no wonder that such hydrocarbons are used on such large scales.
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