21世纪石油仍将是主要能源，炼油技术将进一步发展。降低汽车排放污染的清洁汽油生产技术，低硫低芳清洁柴油生产技术，加氢法润滑油基础油生产技术，加氢裂化和催化裂化重质油转化技术，渣油加工和能量综合利用技术，炼油厂现代化信息技术和过程控制技术等，将成为迈向21世纪有发展前途的炼油技术。

Petroleum will still be the major energy resources in the 21st century. Petroleum refining technologies will develope further. The refining technologies with broad prospects in 21st century would be the technology for production of the clean gasoline to reducing automotive emission, the technology for production of the low sulfur and low aromatic diesel, the technology for production of hydroprocessing lubricating base oils, the technology for conversion of heavy oils with hydrocracking and catalytic cracking, the technology for energy comprehensive utilization integrated with the residue processing, the information and process control technologies for modernization of refineries, etc.