Writing: Describing a Process 21

From Oilfield to Petrol Station

Use the information in the following flow diagram to describe the stages from the discovery of oil to the sale of petrol in the filling station.

Write 150 words in 20 minutes. Use the passive.

Oil is one of the most important commodities in the modern world. In this

Lecture I will outline the main steps in the production of oil.

The process begins in the oil field.

First the oil has to be located. This is a very expensive and time consuming process. Once the oil has been found, pipelines are built to pump the oil to storage tanks.

The next step is the most important one - refining. The crude oil is refined to produce different products such as petrol, aviation fuel, diesel, and tar. Sulfur and water have to be removed, and sometimes other chemicals added to improve the quality of the petrol.

After the petrol is refined it is stored in huge tanks. It is then shipped to countries all around the world in massive supertankers, and transported to petrol stations in tankers. At the stations, the petrol is stored underground in tanks and then finally it is ready to be pumped into your car.