upperstream?

Question

agriculture                 downstreamtextile industry           middlestream clothes industry         upperstreamI want to confirm if the three words could be understood, and whether I can generally say "downstream industries", "middlestream industries", "upperstream industires" to identify the position of an industry.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Almost. I would use downstream, midstream and upstream, which are already standard riverine reference words. Midstream is problematic, because it also means at an equal distance from each bank.

Hly2004 · Answer

For example, in the agricultural industry ,the product is cotton, which is processed in textile industry, and the products from the textile industry may have a bigger variety, like different types of cloth,

and they are also processed in clothes industry.

So, is agriculture an downstream industry? and clothes industry the upstream industry?

My another question is can I say a group of elite companies are upstream companies, and the lowest rank ones are downstream companies?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Ah, I see: no rivers are involved. You are speaking of basic and derivative (my terms) industries? I won't change my first comment, Hly, that is, I think you could use those aquatic terms-- but I have a feeling that there are other more standard terms in use.... like primary and secondary industries?

Clive · Answer

Hi Guys,

(Beat me on the draw again, Mr. M! Darn and drat.)

To me, the analogy of a river suggests a flow. A river flows from the upper part to the lower part. So, I'd think of the industrial flow of material as

agriculture upstream

textile industry midstream

clothes industry downstream

My another question is can I say a group of elite companies are upstream companies, and the lowest rank ones are downstream companies No, because there is no flow involved.

Best wishes, Clive

Hly2004 · Answer

Thank you, Mister Micawber, Clive. I got it.

Danyoo · Answer

Just to confirm what MM and Clive have already stated...actually the terms that Hly bring up are standand industry jargons.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upstream_(oil_industry )

The petroleum industry is usually divided into three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream.

The upstream industry finds and produces and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas. The upstream is sometimes known as the exploration and production (E&P) sector.

The midstream industry processes, stores, markets and transports commodities such as crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs, mainly ethane, propane and butane) and sulphur.

The downstream industry includes oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum products distributors, retail outlets and natural gas distribution companies. The downstream industry touches consumers through thousands of products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, asphalt, lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastics, fertilizers, antifreeze, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane.

upperstream?

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