How the oil industry works

from The Bottom Line · host BBC Radio 4

What does it take to drill oil out of the ground and then refine it into petrol, jet fuel or other petrochemical products? The world currently uses about a hundred million barrels of oil a day. However, the daily flow has been affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the global supply normally passes through the waterway in tanker ships, but it's been blocked since the end of February 2026. How has the industry adapted?Guests: Nick Bone, Fuels Industry UK Luke Johnson, Director of OPC Edward Hayden-Briffet from Onyx CapitalPresenter: Evan Davis Producers: Sally Abrahams & Nick Holland Sound: Dave O'Neill & James Piper Production Coordinator: Katie Morrisson Editor: Sam Bonham

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 11, 2026

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How the oil industry works

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