The use of live steam fed directly into a process to provide water and heat, and to enhance either extraction or reaction. It is commonly used as an enhanced oil recovery method to recover oil from depleted reservoirs or from oil sands in which viscous heavy oil is recovered using steam injection to reduce the viscosity of the oil, aid transport, and recovery. Steam is also directly used in the separation of crude oil and fed to the bottom of the fractionation column. This is the primary separation of crude oil into fractions that have differing boiling points. Steam cracking uses steam for thermal cracking and reforming hydrocarbons.