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At Stanlow, 20,000 litres of crude pass through the crude oil distillation unit every minute in the first step of the production chain. The crude oil is heated and distilled in the tall columns of the crude distiller to break it into different constituents known as ‘fractions’. The heaviest fractions, condensing at the hottest temperatures near the bottom of the columns, are upgraded in the catalytic cracker to produce petrol and diesel components, or used as fuel in the refinery furnaces. Fractions condensing around the middle of the columns include kerosene for jet fuel and gas oil for heating and diesel engines.