Conventional Fuels
Petroleum-based fuel products such as gasoline and diesel include 95 per cent of the transportation fuels used in Canada.
Types of conventional fuels and products
Gasoline
Gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons refined from petroleum (crude oil) with small amounts of additives, and it’s most commonly found in personal vehicles such as cars and light trucks. In 2023, gasoline consumption reached approximately 120 million litres per day in Canada.
Diesel
Diesel is designed for compression ignition engines and is commonly used in trucks, buses, locomotives, farm equipment, portable generators and many other off-road applications. It contains greater power density than gasoline or alternative fuels. In 2023, diesel consumption reached approximately 80 million litres per day in Canada.
Aviation fuel
Aviation fuel, as the name suggests, is used to power aircraft and it is produced to a higher quality than fuels used in less critical applications. The most common grades of jet fuel used in commercial aviation are known as Jet A1 which has a freezing point of minus 47 degrees Celsius, and Jet A which has a freezing point of minus 40 degrees Celsius. In 2023, an average of close to 23 million litres of jet fuel was consumed daily in Canada.
Heating Oil
Heating Oil is part of the “distillate fuel oil” product family, which includes heating oils and diesel fuel. This type of fuel oil is used in domestic burners (furnaces and boilers) to heat our homes. In Canada, heating oil use is mostly concentrated in Ontario, Québec and Atlantic Canada, and accounted for 2.7% of the total energy consumed in Canadian homes in 2021.
Asphalt
Asphalt is a component of crude oil and principally used as a binder for aggregates to form asphalt concrete, which is used for paving roads. Asphalt pavement material is commonly composed of 5 per cent asphalt and 95 per cent aggregates (stone, sand, and gravel). Due to its highly viscous nature, asphalt must be heated so that it can be mixed with the aggregates at the asphalt mixing plant.
Lubricants
Lubricants are specialty products often used to reduce the friction between moving surfaces, improve efficiency and reduce wear. They can also be used to dissolve or transport foreign particles and distribute/transfer heat. One of the single largest applications for lubricants is motor oil used to protect the internal combustion engines in motor vehicles and powered equipment. Other common lubricants include hydraulic fluids, automatic transmission fluid and greases.
Used Oil
Canadians consume several hundred millions of litres of motor oil every year, and it all has to be disposed of responsibly. That’s why we’re making it a priority to ensure that consumers like you have access to a simple, environmentally friendly way to recycle your used motor oil. Along with our members, we have been instrumental in establishing several used oil programs across the country.
Interesting Fuel Facts
Gasoline Prices
Gasoline Prices is a hot topic, but contrary to popular belief, gasoline is one of the most competitively and transparently priced consumer products. Click here for more information about how gasoline is priced.
Fuel Production
Our refineries are complex, labour and capital intensive manufacturing facilities that employ state-of-the-art technologies to create useful products from crude oil. Find out more about how conventional fuels are produced.
Fuel Distribution
A complex network of pipelines, terminals and trucks operate behind the scenes 24/7 to ensure a safe and reliable supply of transportation fuels to Canadian businesses and consumers.
Fuel Retailing
You might be surprised to know that only about 22 percent of gas stations are controlled by the five major refiner-marketers in Canada.
Fuel Distribution
A complex network of pipelines, terminals and trucks operate behind the scenes 24/7 to ensure a safe and reliable supply of transportation fuels to Canadian businesses and consumers.