Three-quarters of the volume of crude oil processed at Canadian refineries is converted into transportation fuel, aviation jet fuel and fuel oil for locomotive and ships. The other products obtained from crude oil refining include asphalt, lubricants, waxes, the raw materials for petrochemicals and fuel oil burned to generate electricity.

The refining process itself consumes 5% of the crude oil, or an equivalent amount of energy from other sources such as natural gas (see industrial energy use).