<P> Petroleum ( from Ancient Greek : petra : `` rock '' + oleum : `` oil '' ) is a naturally occurring , yellow - to - black liquid found in geological formations beneath the Earth 's surface . It is commonly refined into various types of fuels . Components of petroleum are separated using a technique called fractional distillation i.e. separation of a liquid mixture into fractions differing in boiling point by means of distillation , typically using a fractionating column . </P>
what is the name of the process used to separate the components of petroleum
fractional distillation