Contents

CRUDE OIL PROPERTIES Density &Viscosity Pour point Reid vapor pressure (RVP) Carbon residue Sulfur Nitrogen Metals Salt content Hydrogen sulfide

CRUDE OIL PROPERTIES

Crude oils from various production fields are not the same, not even from neighboring fields in Saudi Arabia, and certainly not

CRUDE OIL CHARACTERIZATION, Comparisons, and Contaminants

Characterization Crude Oil Comparisons Crude Oil Contaminants

Crude oil
Crude oil is a liquid found naturally in rock,
containing mostly complex hydrocarbons, with some additional organic material. It is the major fuel used on the planet, and is used in the production of many synthetic materials even plastics as well

CRUDE OIL PROPERTIES

Crude oils from various production fields are not the same, not even from neighboring fields and certainly not from the many fields worldwide. The properties of the various crudes that may be available must be understood, and the implications of these properties to storage, transportation, and processing requirements is vital to ensure safety, optimum operations, and minimum loss of hydrocarbons to the environment

CRUDE OIL PROPERTIES

In addition to recognizing that crudes are different, we must also realize that fields change as they become old. Also, any new discovery is quickly analyzed to evaluate its potential as well as any concerns that may be associated with the crude

 Density
Density is the weight of a substance for a given unit of volume. Density of crude or crude products is measured as specific gravity comparing the density of the crude or product to the density of water (usually expressed as gm/cc) or API gravity (API or degrees API).

Viscosity
Viscosity is the measure of the resistance of a liquid to flow, thereby indicating the pumpability of the oil. (Kinematic viscosity is the viscosity of the material divided by the density - specific gravity - of the material at the temperature of viscosity measurement).

 Pour point is the temperature, to the next 5 F

increment, above that temperature at which an oil becomes solid. The pour point is also the lowest temperature, in 5 F increments, at which the oil will flow.

Reid vapor pressure (RVP) RVP is the measure of the vapor pressure exerted by an oil at 100 F (38 C). Carbon residue is the percentage of carbon by weight for coke, asphalt, and heavy fuels found by evaporating an oil to dryness under standard laboratory conditions. Carbon residue is generally termed Conradson Carbon Residue, or CCR.

 Sulfur is the percentage by weight, or in parts

per million by weight, of total sulfur contained in a liquid hydrocarbon sample. Why Sulfur must be removed from refined product ? to prevent corrosion, protect catalysts, and prevent environmental pollution. Nitrogen is the weight, in parts per million, of total nitrogen contained in a liquid hydrocarbon sample. Nitrogen compounds are also catalyst poisons.

 Metals
Various metals (arsenic, lead, nickel, vanadium, etc.) in a liquid hydrocarbon are potential process catalyst poisons. They are measure in ppm.

Salt measurement is expressed as pounds of salt

(NaCl) per 1000 barrels of crude. Salts are removed prior to crude oil distillation to prevent corrosion and catalyst poisoning.

 Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic gas that can be evolved from crude or products in storage or in the processing of crude. Hydrogen sulfide dissolved in a crude or product stream is measured in ppm Chlorides generally do not occur naturally in crude oils. Rather, they are sometimes present in solvents used in the oil fields and disposed of in the pumped crude. such chloride addition has caused rapid degeneration of reformer performance, requiring catalyst regeneration or replacement. In other cases, major corrosion problems have occurred at the point of condensation of the reactor effluent.

Why I must know about these properties? These properties affect the transportation and storage requirements for crudes, define the products that can be extracted under various processing schemes, alert us to safety and environmental concerns. Each property can also affect the price that the refiner is willing to pay for the crude.

Why low sulfur worth than high ones?

In general, light, low sulfur crudes are worth more than heavy, high sulfur crudes because of the increased volume of premium products (gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel) that are available with minimum processing.

CRUDE OIL CHARACTERIZATION, COMPARISONS, AND CONTAMINANTS

Characterization
Crude assays are the systematic compilation of data defining properties of the whole crude along with yields and properties of various boiling fractions. Or, simply, a crude assay is a set of data that defines Crude properties Yields Properties of fractions

 This systematic compilation of data provides a common basis for comparison of crudes. As stated earlier, crudes are different, old fields change, and new fields are discovered.

The consistent presentation of data allows us to make informed decisions as to storage and transportation needs, processing requirements, product expectations, crude relative values, and safety and environmental concerns.

 It also allows us to monitor crude quality from individual sources over a period of time. In order to perform a crude assay, a representative, non-contaminated sample of the current production is required.

Types of assays
Class A: Whole Crude Properties (WCP) by analytical testing only. No distillation is performed. Class C: WCP plus detailed yield structure and product properties. This is the most common assay and is performed to fully evaluate new crude discoveries. Class E: WCP, yield structure through 1000 F, properties of fractions through 1000 F. Class F: WCP, yield structure through 700 F, properties of fractions through 700 F. Class G: WCP, yield structure to 1000 F, limited product properties

Crude Oil Comparisons

For a thorough understanding of the variability of crudes, the properties of five foreign crudes are compared to those for Arabian Light and Arabian Heavy. The five crudes were chosen for their distinct characteristics and because each is well known worldwide.

 Arun Arun is an Indonesian condensate consisting almost entirely of naphtha, kerosene, and light gas oil. Beryl Beryl is a well-known North Sea crude, very similar to Brent crude, which is a benchmark for establishing world crude oil prices. Minas Minas is a highly paraffinic, high pour point crude from Indonesia. Nigerian Light High yields of naphtha and kerosene come from this light, sweet crude, which commands a premium price. San Joaquin Valley (SJV) SJV is a heavy, naphthenic crude from Central California.

The high gravity and vapor pressure of Arun, which is composed entirely of naphtha, kerosene, and light gas oil. The high pour point of Minas, which is a warning signal about this otherwise normal-appearing crude. The low gravity and high CCR of SJV crude, indicating that this is a satisfactory crude for coking. However, this crude may have other, undesirable characteristics as indicated by its high salt content, high metal contents, and an extremely high nitrogen content.

 For naphthas, we are most concerned with yield, in volume percent, that can be desulfurized and reformed into a high octane blend stock (reformate), and with the chemical type of hydrocarbons making up the naphtha (paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics). These classes of compounds allow us to calculate the PONA factor. PONA is an indicator of naphtha's performance as a reformer unit charge stock: PONA = Vol % A + 0.85 (Vol % N) where A = aromatic content N = naphthene content of the naphtha