Petroleum Refineries
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in refining crude petroleum into refined petroleum. Petroleum refining involves one or more of the following activities: (1) fractionation; (2) straight distillation of crude oil; and (3) cracking.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 324 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing subsector is based on the transformation of crude petroleum and coal into usable products. The dominant process is petroleum refining that involves the separation of crude petroleum into component products through such techniques as cracking and distillation. In addition, this subsector includes establishments that primarily further process refined petroleum and coal products and produce products, such as asphalt coatings and petroleum lubricating oils. However, establishments that manufacture petrochemicals from refined petroleum are classified in Industry 32511, Petrochemical Manufacturing. |
| 3241 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | The Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing subsector is based on the transformation of crude petroleum and coal into usable products. The dominant process is petroleum refining that involves the separation of crude petroleum into component products through such techniques as cracking and distillation. In addition, this subsector includes establishments that primarily further process refined petroleum and coal products and produce products, such as asphalt coatings and petroleum lubricating oils. However, establishments that manufacture petrochemicals from refined petroleum are classified in Industry 32511, Petrochemical Manufacturing. |
| 32411 | Petroleum Refineries 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 324110. |
| 324110 | Petroleum Refineries 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in refining crude petroleum into refined petroleum. Petroleum refining involves one or more of the following activities: (1) fractionation; (2) straight distillation of crude oil; and (3) cracking. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Classification References
- 01Manufacturing asphalt paving, roofing, and saturated materials from refined petroleum--are classified in Industry 32412, Asphalt Paving, Roofing, and Saturated Materials Manufacturing;
- 02Manufacturing paper mats and felts and saturating them with asphalt or tar into rolls and sheets--are classified in Industry 322120, Paper Mills;
- 03Blending or compounding refined petroleum to make lubricating oils and greases and/or re-refining used petroleum lubricating oils--are classified in U.S. Industry 324191, Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing;
- 04Manufacturing biofuels blended with purchased refined petroleum--are classified in U.S. Industry 324199, All Other Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing;
- 05Manufacturing biofuels not blended with refined petroleum--are classified in U.S. Industry 325199, All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing;
- 06Manufacturing synthetic lubricating oils and greases--are classified in U.S. Industry 325998, All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing;
- 07Recovering natural gasoline and/or liquid hydrocarbons from oil and gas field gases--are classified in Industry 211130, Natural Gas Extraction;
- 08Manufacturing acyclic and cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (i.e., petrochemicals) from refined petroleum or liquid hydrocarbons--are classified in Industry 325110, Petrochemical Manufacturing;
- 09Manufacturing cyclic and acyclic chemicals (except petrochemicals)--are classified in Industry 32519, Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing;
- 10Manufacturing coke oven products in steel mills--are classified in Industry 331110, Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing; and
- 11Manufacturing coke oven products in coke oven establishments--are classified in U.S. Industry 324199, All Other Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing.
Index Items
Acid oils made in petroleum refineries
Aliphatic chemicals (i.e., acyclic) made in petroleum refineries
Alkylates made in petroleum refineries
Asphalt and asphaltic materials made in petroleum refineries
Asphalt paving mixtures made in petroleum refineries
Aviation fuels manufacturing
Benzene made in petroleum refineries
Biodiesel fuels made in petroleum refineries
Butylene (i.e., butene) made in petroleum refineries
Coke, petroleum, made in petroleum refineries
Crude oil refining
Crude petroleum refineries
Cumene made in petroleum refineries
Cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons made in petroleum refineries
Diesel fuels made in petroleum refineries
Ethylene made in petroleum refineries
Fuel oils manufacturing
Fuels, jet, manufacturing
Gasoline made in petroleum refineries
Heating oils made in petroleum refineries
Hydraulic fluids made in petroleum refineries
Jet fuels manufacturing
Kerosene manufacturing
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) made in refineries
Lubricating oils and greases made in petroleum refineries
Naphtha made in petroleum refineries
Naphthenic acids made in petroleum refineries
Oil (i.e., petroleum) refineries
Oil additives made in petroleum refineries
Oils, fuel, manufacturing
Paraffin waxes made in petroleum refineries
Petrochemical feedstocks made in petroleum refineries
Petrochemicals made in petroleum refineries
Petroleum coke made in petroleum refineries
Petroleum cracking and reforming
Petroleum distillation
Petroleum jelly made in petroleum refineries
Petroleum lubricating oils made in petroleum refineries
Petroleum refineries
Propane gases made in petroleum refineries
Propylene (i.e., propene) made in petroleum refineries
Refineries, petroleum
Refinery gases made in petroleum refineries
Road oils made in petroleum refineries
Solvents made in petroleum refineries
Still gases made in petroleum refineries
Styrene made in petroleum refineries
Tar made in petroleum refineries
Toluene made in petroleum refineries
Waxes, petroleum, made in petroleum refineries
Xylene made in petroleum refineries
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes inventory levels for hazardous materials by providing real-time tracking and automated safety protocols, reducing storage costs while ensuring regulatory compliance for petroleum products.
Order Management Systems streamline complex logistics by automatically matching customer orders with the nearest refinery inventory, minimizing delivery times for urgent fuel requirements across diverse supply chains.
Transportation Management Systems enhance route efficiency for heavy oil tankers and trucks by analyzing traffic conditions and fuel consumption data, leading to significant cost reductions and a smaller carbon footprint.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 324110.
American Petroleum Institute
Trade association dedicated to the refining, marketing, and transport of crude oil and petroleum products.
Bureau of Economic Analysis - Oil Refining
Government page providing economic statistics and data on the performance of the oil refining industry.
American Refining Technology Council
Industry organization focused on promoting the use of technology and data to improve refining operations and environmental performance.
