Kerosene is considered an important fuel in less developed countries. It has many uses so we consider it an important source of almost all kinds of energy. It has got great chemical properties. The world consumes approximately more than 88 million barrels of kerosene per day.Kerosene is important and expensive as well.
Kerosene is not a widely used oil these days. Its demands have gone down but whenever there is a temperature dip there is a sudden demand for Kerosene and the prices increase with the increase in demand! The cost of Kerosene is much higher than gasoline because it is refined oil. The refined products cost more so Kerosene is more expensive!
Reasons for high prices
The prices of Kerosene directly depend on its demand, supply and availability and most importantly the uses it has. People use Kerosene for various purposes. Its availability in bulk does not affect its prices no matter people demand it or not. When it comes to the time when the demands for Kerosene are high like in winters when people use Kerosene as heating oils and then supply falls, then prices soar high. This applies to every oil but Kerosene is like expensive that too. It costs around $1.01 per litre.
Other than this, the quality of the Kerosene impacts its price. High-quality Kerosene is the one that needs less refining and is cheaper. The one which needs to be refined more will cost more. Since Kerosene is a refined oil, its prices keep fluctuating depending on its quality.
Prices are comparable as conditions fluctuate. Kerosene is seen as costly most of the time.
Uses of Kerosene
As mentioned above Kerosene is widely used in less developed countries so this means it has varied uses for the people. We use it widely as heating oil in-room heaters in winters. We get it from petroleum and use it as burning oil in lamps and domestic heaters or furnaces. Furnaces in the industrial sectors also work on Kerosene only. Domestic heaters burn Kerosene to provide heat and light.
It is used as fuel for jet engines and as an insecticide too. Kerosene works as a solvent so we use it as a cleaning agent. As we use it as jet fuel, we can use it to fuel aeroplanes and power rocket engines. The Kerosene we use in jets or aeroplanes is called aviation Kerosene and it is also known as QAV-1. We can use it for every other object for flight purposes, equipped with turbine engines like pure jets and turbofans.
We use Kerosene widely for cooking, lighting and heating in less developed or low-income countries. It is used for similar purposes in a few developed countries also.
Why do we need to use refined Kerosene?
We need to refine any oil so that it may work properly to give out heat and light and serve its purpose. It directly impacts the calorific value and ignition temperature of any oil. The more refined oil burns fast in small amounts and leaves no traces of smoke, ashes or gases. The less refined oil has got impurities that when we burn it, it will leave behind gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc in large amounts. Apart from gases, it leaves black residue and ash also. It also gives out a lot of smoke on burning. It is dangerous for the person who is allergic to smoke, dust, etc. however, there are no problems associated with refined oil. It burns to give clear flame and light!
The large molecules and components found in Kerosene make it heavier than gasoline or other oil. For this reason, Kerosene does not vaporise so easily and is ideal for burning and heating purposes. Refining the oil brings its weight down and hence making it efficient.
What can we do to bring the prices down?
To bring the prices down, first of all, we need to create a supply. We can also choose to lower the demands. Demands are easy to control. We can lower them only when consumers understand the need to use Kerosene in a controlled way. If consumers could understand their use of Kerosene the demand will fall and hence it will create an option to exceed the supply. We should stop using Kerosene unnecessarily and consumers should use high-quality Kerosene as much as possible because using downgraded oil will create a high price for refining and transport.
Kerosene is an important oil and everyone needs it. We need to lower the prices to keep the consumption going on.
Conclusion
Kerosene is needed in every house which belongs to a less developed country. It has got many uses from lighting to burning. We use it to make paraffin wax which we use in cooking. Kerosene has unique properties and chemical composition. This makes it suitable for almost every use. However, the increased demand and fallen supply have soared its prices high and people are finding it difficult to manage without it. Today almost every domestic work includes the use of Kerosene.
It is used even as a cleansing agent for stains. It forms an important part of running the industries as all the furnaces in the factories or industries work on Kerosene. All the jet planes and aeroplanes use kerosene as an engine fuel to take flights. To bring down the prices, demands should be lowered which can only be done when people understand the need to control the consumption of Kerosene. People should understand how to use kerosene wisely otherwise it will become difficult to bring its prices down!
Frequently asked questions
- How many barrels are used by the world per day?
The world uses approx 88 million barrels of Kerosene every day.
- How can we lower the uses?
Wait for Kerosene left in lanterns or heaters to burn completely before adding more unnecessarily.
- What countries use Kerosene?
Countries like Japan, India, Iran, etc use Kerosene widely.
- Can Kerosene be used to run vehicles?
Vehicles are designed to work on gasoline. If we use Kerosene it won’t let it work efficiently and incomplete burning might release a lot of smoke.
