Crude Oil and Refined Products
WTI, Brent, Dubai/Oman; crude quality and regional differentials; crack spreads and refining economics
Crude Oil and Refined Products
Executive Summary
Crude oil is refined into a slate of products: roughly 42% gasoline, 23% diesel, 13% heating oil, 7% jet fuel, 10% fuel oil, and 5% other. The value of crude is the value of the products it can yield. A refiner's profit depends on the gap between the cost of crude and the revenue from products. The "crack spread" is that margin—the difference between crude input cost and refined product output value. This module covers refined product futures (RBOB gasoline, ULSD, heating oil), crack spread mechanics and formulas, refinery economics, and trading and hedging applications. For practitioners and consultants, mastery supports hedging and trading in oil and refining—and supports book and consulting value.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this module you will be able to understand refined product futures contracts (gasoline, diesel, heating oil), calculate crack spreads and refining profit margins, analyse seasonal patterns in refined products, evaluate refinery economics and margin optimisation, and model hedging strategies for refiners and traders.