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What
is Heavy Oil?
As defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
heavy oil is a type of crude oil characterized by an asphaltic,
dense, viscous nature (similar to molasses), and its asphaltene
(very large molecules incorporating roughly 90 percent of the sulfur
and metals in the oil) content. It also contains impurities such as
waxes and carbon residue that must be removed before being refined.
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Although variously defined, the
upper limit for heavy oil is 22°APIgravity with a viscosity of
100 cp (centipoises)The
American Petroleum Institute's "API gravity" is a standard to
express the specific weight of oils, computed as
(141.5/sp g) – 131.5, where sp is the specific gravity of the
oil at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The lower the specific gravity
value, the higher the API gravity will be.
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Heavy oil |
Asphaltic, dense (low API gravity), and viscous
oil that is chemically characterized by its content of
asphaltenes (very large molecules incorporating most of the
sulfur and perhaps 90% of the metals in the oil). Although
variously defined, the upper limit for heavy oils has been set
at 22°API gravity and a viscosity of less than 100 cP.
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Light oil
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Also known as "conventional oil," light oil has
an API gravity of at least 22° and a viscosity less
than 100 centipoises (cp). |
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Extra-heavy oil |
The portion of heavy oil having an API gravity of
less than 10°. |
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Natural bitumen |
Also known as "oil sands," bitumen shares the
attributes of heavy oil but is even more dense and viscous.
Natural bitumen has a viscosity greater than 10,000 cP.
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Formation of Heavy Oils
The formation of heavy
oil and bitumen, like other forms of petroleum, originated with plant
life millions of years ago. When the plants and small organisms
(plankton) that fed on them died off, the sediments containing their
remains were buried at the bottom of inland seas. In a highly simplified
explanation, over time, the heat and pressure converted the
carbohydrates into hydrocarbons.
Oil formation usually
takes place in very fine-grained sedimentary rocks known as black shales.
After oil is formed, continued pressure from overlying rocks causes it
to migrate through permeable rock layers until it becomes trapped in
reservoirs of porous rocks such as sandstone or limestone |
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What Products
are Made from a Barrel of Crude Oil?
This
barrel
shows the products made from a barrel of crude
oil (in
gallons): A 42 US
gallon barrel of crude oil yields slightly more than 44
gallons of petroleum products. This
"process gain" in volume is due to a reduction in density
during the refining process. |
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Other Products |
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Liquefied
Petroleum Gas |
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Heavy Fuel Oil
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Jet Fuel |
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Diesel Fuel and
Heating Oil |
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Gasoline |
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