Story perspectives

Chinese Scientists Cut Oil Refining Energy Use 90%

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 3:03 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Chinese scientists have devised a new oil-refining technique that cuts energy use by roughly 90%.
The method operates at the molecular level to select specific compounds for appropriate production lines.
It replaces traditional distillation that repeatedly heats crude oil to separate components.
The technique could lower refinery production costs if scaled for industry.
It could also reduce emissions associated with oil refining.

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Story summary

Chinese scientists have devised a new oil-refining technique that cuts energy use by roughly 90%.
The method operates at the molecular level to select specific compounds for appropriate production lines.
It replaces traditional distillation that repeatedly heats crude oil to separate components.
The technique could lower refinery production costs if scaled for industry.
It could also reduce emissions associated with oil refining.