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Introduction
Published in Jay Gohil, Manan Shah, Application of Big Data in Petroleum Streams, 2022
Moving forward with the segment’s classification aspects, the raw petroleum produced from drilling sites, often called crude oil, comes in two major types – light (or sweet) and heavy (or sour). Light crude oil has low density, low viscosity, low specific gravity, high API gravity (measurement of how heavy/light a petroleum liquid is compared to water), flows freely at room temperature and generally has low wax content. The heavy crude oil, on the other hand, has high density, high viscosity, low API gravity (less than 20°, with extra heavy oil possessing less than 10° value), does not flow easily and has comparatively higher wax content. Moreover, as light or sweet crude oil provides higher percentage of gasoline and diesel in the refining processes of the downstream segment, it is usually sold at a premium price in global trade. The presence of sulphur and other impurities in heavy or sour crude oil, along with its comparatively higher negative effects on the environment, also makes it a less viable product as it drives up the refining costs in the downstream segment (further making light crude/sweet oil better economically). [Few standard benchmarks utilized globally for classifying crude oil include Light Louisiana Sweet, West Texas Intermediate and Petrozuata Heavy.]
Crude Oil
Published in Anco S. Blazev, Energy Security for The 21st Century, 2021
Crudes can be classified as “light” or “heavy,” a characteristic which refers to the oil’s relative density based on the American Petroleum Institute (API) Gravity. This measurement reflects how light or heavy a crude oil is compared to water. If an oil’s API Gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter than water and will float on it. If an oil’s API Gravity is less than 10, it is heavier than water and will sink. Light crude oil is defined as having an API gravity higher than 31.1°API. Brent Crude has an of 35.5°, and gasoline’s API is 50°.Medium oil is defined as having an API gravity between 22.3°API and 31.1°API.Heavy oil is defined as having an API gravity below 22.3°API.Asphalt is the heaviest of the petrochemicals with average API gravity of 8° or less.
Feedstock Composition
Published in James G. Speight, Refinery Feedstocks, 2020
Sulfur compounds are among the most important heteroatomic constituents of crude oil, and although there are many varieties of sulfur compounds (Speight, 2000, 2014, 2017), the prevailing conditions during the formation, maturation, and even in situ alteration may dictate that only preferred types exist in any particular crude oil. Nevertheless, sulfur compounds of one type or another are present in all crude oils (Thompson et al., 1976). In general, the higher the density of the crude oil for the lower the API gravity of the crude oil) the higher the sulfur content and the total sulfur in the crude oil can vary from approximately 0.04% w/w for light crude oil to approximately 5.0% for heavy crude oil and tar sand bitumen. However, the sulfur content of crude oils produced from broad geographic regions varies with time, depending on the composition of newly discovered fields, particularly those in different geological environments.
A detailed study of IC engines and a novel discussion with comprehensive view of alternative fuels used in petrol and diesel engines
Published in International Journal of Ambient Energy, 2021
I. Vinoth Kanna, M. Arulprakasajothi, Sherin Eliyas
The petroleum industry classifies crude oil by its geographical origin, its API (American Petroleum Institute) gravity (light or heavy), and it’s sulfur content (low sulfur is labelled as sweet, and high sulfur is labelled as sour). Light crude oil produces a higher gasoline fraction. Sweet crude oil is more valuable than sour crude oil because it requires less refining to meet sulfur standards. The identified worldwide crude oil reserves are estimated by the American Petroleum Institute to be about 1 trillion barrels, with 0.6 trillion barrels remaining to be identified.