CRUDE OILS - THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

& SIGNIFICANCE
Density API GRAVITY) Light grades : Above 33 degree API,
Medium grades: 23-33 and Heavy grades: upto 22
Sulphur Crude oils are also categorised based on Sulphur as
Sweet Crude and Sour Crude
Reid Vapour Pressure (RVP in Kg/cm2) indicates relative
Percentage of gaseous and lighter hydrocarbons in crude
oil.
Light End Analysis (basis of assessing the LPG potential of
crude)
Pour point
Wax content
Salt content
Sediment and Water (B S & W)
Asphaltenes Carbon Residue and Ash Content
Viscosity
KUOP, TAN
 CRUDE OILS - THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
& SIGNIFICANCE
1. Density is used for:
•Weight to volume or vice versa calculations
•Checking the consistency of crude supply
•Control of refinery operations
•Used in various correlations
•Also gives a rough indication of type of crude oil
141.5
API GRAVITY= -
131.5
SP.GRAT 60/60°F
Examples: Water = 10 API, Light Gasoline 75 API, Hy Gasoline 60 API
and
Kerosene = 45 API

Crude is categorised based on gravity Light grades : Above 33

degree API Medium grades: 23-33 degree API Heavy
grades: upto 22 degree API
TYPICAL EXAMPLE :BH : 40 API, ARABIAN CRUDE 33 - 34 API &
VENEZUELAN CRUDE 15 API
 >40 0API

Light Crude
0API=(141.5/d)-131.5
>33 0API
Most representative
Middle East crude
Arab Light
Between
(34 0API-1.8%S) Medium
22 & 33 0API
Crude
10-45 0API
<22 0API Heavy
Density=1 to 0.8 Crude

IN ADDITION TO API GRAVITY
SULPHUR CONTENT PLAYS
AN IMPORTANT ROLE
IN DEFINING A CRUDE
Sweet or Low S
< 0.5 wt% S
MS Between 0.5 & 1.5%
HS or Sour >1.5%
 2. Sulphur
Crude oils are also categorised based on Sulphur as
Sweet Crude and Sour Crude
Sweet grades <0.5% of Sulphur
Sour grades >0.5% of Sulphur
After Distillation, the Sulphur in the Crude gets
distributed in the products. Depending upon the actual
Sulphur level in the market and the acceptability of
specifications or market Sulphur is converted to soluble
Di-Sulphides or removed by various methods and the
bye-product is elemental sulfur .
3. (a) Reid Vapour Pressure (RVP)
RVP (RVP in Kg/cm2) indicates relative Percentage of
gaseous and lighter hydrocarbons in crude oil.
Propane has an RVP of 14.1 while Butane has 6.6.
Usually Crude is in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 though
some crude has a high RVP of 0.4 to 0.5
3. (b) Light End Analysis

Light end analysis carried out by GC gives the %age of

hydrocarbons upto C5 and is the basis of assessing the
LPG potential of crude.

Typical Analysis shown for a normal Crude:

C1 and C2 Traces
C3 0.1 to 0.2 %
nC4 0.2 to 0.3 %
iC4 0.2 to 0.3 %
nC5 0.5 %
iC5 0.3%
RECOVERABLE LPG (SR) 1.0 TO 1.2 %
4 (a) POUR POINT

• Indicates relative amount of wax present in crude oil

• Is the temperature below which pumping and
transportation problems may be encountered
• Along with viscosity, Pour Point is used in pumping and
design calculations

4 (b) WAX CONTENT

Normal paraffins above CI6 are solid at somewhat

ambient temperatures. These hydrocarbons
• Affect the flow behaviour of crude
• Affect the product quality of gas oil, VGO and asphalt
• Lube manufacture is also dependent on wax content of
the crude.
5. SALT CONTENT
Mainly chlorides and sulphates of Na, K, Ca, Mg is a
measure of contamination in crude that will cause
overhead corrosion or fouling up of exchangers by
settling and sealing. It is removed in the Desalter by
washing, settling and draining the Brine.

Problems Encountered Due to Salts

Irregular behaviour in distillation

Equipment corrosion in the atmospheric distillation
Salt is a major cause of blocking and fouling of heat
exchangers
Residual product contamination

Small quantities of HCL may substantially enhance

corrosion

Contd…
6. Sediment and Water (B S & W)

• Sediment, which are Fine particles of sand clay, volcanic ash,

drilling mud, rust, iron sulphide, metals and scale has no direct
relationship with salt but both might increase with connate water.
The Damaging Effect is Plugging, Abrasion and residual product
contamination
Sediment in crude oil is measured by ASTM D 96 or Sediment by
extraction ASTM D 4007

• Water causes accounting loss, irregular behaviour in desalting

operation and upsetting the distillation process in the tower, .

•
7. Asphaltenes Carbon Residue and Ash Content

Asphaltenes
• Are polynuclear condensed aromatic hydrocarbons having
high molecular weight

• Asphaltenes and carbon residue indicate the extent to

which heavy hydrocarbons are present in crude oil as well
as the Lube and Bitumen potential.
8. Viscosity

It is a measure of resistance to flow and is an important

parameter for effective desalting. It is also highly dependant
on temperature.

High viscosity crudes need high temperatures for effective

desalting. There is a limit for temperature in desalter
operation.
9. KUOP

It is a measure of parafinity vis-a-vis aromaticity of crude.

Paraffinic Crude has High KUOP and is desired for high

conversion in FCC as aromatic molecules cannot be
cracked in FCC.
10. TAN (Total Acid Number)
•It is a measure of Naphthenic Acid (NA) contents in
crude. This leads to corrosion in various sections of the
unit. Over 1,500 known NA species are present in crude.

• All napthenic acids are not corrosive. Latest research

indicates that TAN is not a complete Corrosion Index.

Sometimes TAN with 2.5 may corrode at higher rate than

TAN with even 6!
 SELECTION OF CRUDE OIL

Technology trends in petroleum refining are driven by :

1. The external forces of product demand
2. Product specifications (including environmental
consideration),
3. Feed stock quality and availability.

Refineries to meet the challenge of :

1. Crude oil gradually becomes heavier
2. Higher sulphur content.
3. To comply with stricter environmental regulations (MS &
HSD)
4. Reduction of sulphur levels in distillates and fuel oil.
5. Reduction of lead and benzene levels in gasoline. Contd…
SELECTION OF CRUDE(S) FOR REFINERY

Based on product demand, type of products,

processing schemes of refineries, metallurgy of
existing plant and equipment, crudes are selected after
evaluating detailed crude Assay Data. Mostly, a mixture
of crudes is selected for a refinery to optimise the cost
and meeting products quality specifications.