Downstream (petroleum industry)

Okay, so have you ever filled up a car with gas? The gasoline you put in your car comes from something called petroleum. Petroleum is a natural substance that comes from deep underground.

Now, after the petroleum is taken out of the ground, it needs to be turned into different things like gasoline, diesel, and other types of fuel. This process is called refining, and it happens in big factories called refineries.

The refining process takes the crude oil and separates it into different parts, kind of like how you can separate cereal by the different shapes and colors. One of these parts is called the downstream products. These are the things that come out of the refining process that can be used to make things like gasoline, diesel, and other fuels.

So, when we talk about the downstream part of the petroleum industry, we're talking about everything that happens to turn the crude oil into the things you put in your car. From the refinery to the gas station, it's all part of the downstream process.