The term "oil industry" refers to the network of companies and organizations involved in the exploration, extraction, production, transportation, refining, distribution, and marketing of petroleum-based products. This includes oil drilling companies, pipeline operators, refineries, distributors, marketers, and retailers of gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, lubricants, asphalt, and other petrochemical products. The oil industry is a major component of the global economy, providing energy for transportation, manufacturing, and consumer use, while also driving economic growth in many countries where it operates.