Engineering Encyclopedia

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Crude Oil Properties

Note: The source of the technical material in this volume is the Professional
Engineering Development Program (PEDP) of Engineering Services.
Warning: The material contained in this document was developed for Saudi
Aramco and is intended for the exclusive use of Saudi Aramco’s
employees. Any material contained in this document which is not
already in the public domain may not be copied, reproduced, sold, given,
or disclosed to third parties, or otherwise used in whole, or in part,
without the written permission of the Vice President, Engineering
Services, Saudi Aramco.

Chapter : Process For additional information on this subject, contact

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CONTENTS PAGES

CRUDE OIL PROPERTIES ............................................................................................................1

Density...............................................................................................................................3

Viscosity ............................................................................................................................3

Pour point ..........................................................................................................................3

Reid vapor pressure (RVP) ................................................................................................3

Carbon residue ...................................................................................................................3

Sulfur .................................................................................................................................3

Nitrogen .............................................................................................................................3

Metals ................................................................................................................................4

Salt content ........................................................................................................................4

Hydrogen sulfide ...............................................................................................................4

CRUDE OIL CHARACTERIZATION, Comparisons, and Contaminants ......................................5

Characterization .................................................................................................................5

Crude Oil Comparisons .....................................................................................................6

Crude Oil Contaminants ..................................................................................................13

GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................................................15

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CRUDE OIL PROPERTIES

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

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.

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Figure 1 shows the major oil and gas fields in Saudi Arabia.

FIGURE 1. Map of Saudi Arabian Oil Fields

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Many properties are routinely measured for crudes. The following list includes the most common factors
affecting crude oil handling, processing, and value.

•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
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
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
Sulfur is the percentage by weight, or in parts per million by weight, of total sulfur
contained in a liquid hydrocarbon sample. Sulfur must be removed from refined product
to prevent corrosion, protect catalysts, and prevent environmental pollution.

•Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the weight, in parts per million, of total nitrogen contained in a liquid
hydrocarbon sample. Nitrogen compounds are also catalyst poisons.

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

•Salt content
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
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.

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

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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.

Several types of assays are available:

• 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.

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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. All data for this discussion are from Class C assays of the crudes.

• 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.

Some significant properties of the whole crudes are shown in Table 1. Some items to note from Table 1
include:

• 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.

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• The absence of warning signals for Beryl and Nigerian Light. They appear, and are, desirable crudes.

• Note the difference between the Arabian crudes: CCR, sulfur, metals, salt.

TABLE 1. Properties of Whole Crudes

Property Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
Gravity (°API) 33.9 28.0 54.1 36.5 35.3 37.6 15.2
Pour Point (°F) -45 -30 -55 20 95 5 -5
CCR (wt %) 3.6 7.3 0.01 1.3 2.2 1.1 7.0
Sulfur (wt %) 1.8 2.8 <.1 .42 .07 .13 1.05
Nitrogen (ppm) 660 660 50 880 900 .06 6200
Nickel (ppm) 3 17 0.65 0.8 10 3.6 63
Vanadium 19 55 0.15 3.7 0.3 0.3 60
RVP (psi) 9.8 8.2 10.0 5.2 2.6 6.0 1.6
Salt Content <10 5 3 7.4 N/A 5 14
H2S (ppm) 300-500 0 0.0

Table 2 summarizes key crude properties for four recent Saudi Aramco discoveries.

TABLE 2. Recent Crude Discoveries

Crude API Gravity Sulfur (wt %) Depth (ft) Found
Al Hawtah #1 49 .06 6,300 June 89
Dilam #1 44 .06 --- October 89
An Naim #1 42.4 --- 8,800 April 90
Al Hazmieh #1 48 “Free” 6,000 July 90

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The whole crude distillation data (Table 3) supplements the information gained from reviewing Table 1.

TABLE 3. Whole Crude Distillations

Distillation Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Point Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
C4 LTR 1.4 2.4 2.6 2.0 0.7 2.5 0.7
180° 7.9 8.3 24.9 8.0 3.0 10.3 2.3
330° 23.2 19.8 63.2 26.2 12.0 28.8 5.5
380° 28.8 23.5 70.9 31.5 15.9 34.6 7.0
550° 45.9 37.4 88.7 50.6 31.1 56.1 19.1
650° 55.9 46.1 95.2 61.6 41.3 68.5 30.1
950° 79.5 70.3 100.0 85.1 71.4 91.2 63.6
1000° 82.5 73.9 --- 87.5 75.6 92.9 68.1
1050° 85.1 77.1 --- 90.0 79.3 94.3 73.0
1050°+, % 14.9 22.9 --- 10.0 20.7 5.7 27.0

• Very little remains of Arun past the nominal 650 °F cut off for light gas oil. In fact, this crude is shown
to be 71% naphtha and lighter, 18% kerosene, and 8% light gas oil.

• Beryl and Nigerian Light are very normal and slightly lighter than the Arabian crudes.

• Minas is fairly similar in distillation to Arabian Heavy.

• SJV is shown to be an extremely high boiling crude with low yields of naphtha and kerosene, but with
over 30% residual, or material boiling above 1000 °F.

• Note that the two Arabian crudes shown are not the same.

Critical properties of the distilled fractions can be considered following a review of the whole crudes.

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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

This factor is so important that it is calculated from the naphtha analysis and presented in the assay, in its
calculated form, under the title of PONA. For PONA, 30 is considered good and 40 is exceptional. Sulfur and
nitrogen, which normally occur in fairly low concentration in naphtha, are critical. They must be removed from
the naphtha prior to reforming.

Properties of straight run naphthas from the crudes are shown in Table 4. The high yields of naphthas from
Arun, Beryl, and Nigerian Light are evident. The Arabian crudes appear to have average naphtha yields.

TABLE 4. Properties of Straight Run Naphthas (180 - 380 °F)

Property Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
Vol % of Crude 20.9 15.2 42.4 23.5 12.9 25.1 4.7
Gravity (°API) 57.1 57.7 53.5 53.0 58.4 51.2 48.2
Paraffins 65.9 66.0 43.2 44.7 56.9 34.6 24.4
(Vol %)
Naphthenes 19.4 22.1 37.9 35.0 37.6 55.3 67.7
Aromatics 14.7 12.0 19.0 20.2 5.4 10.1 7.9
(Vol %)
PONA Factor 28.4 28.8 51.2 50.0 37.4 57.1 65.4
Sulfur (ppm) 400 450 6 35 34 264 1275
Nitrogen (ppm) 0.9 0.0 0.1 N/A 0.4 1.3 30.9

The Arabian crudes are highly paraffinic in the naphtha fractions. They are only average in PONA. The high
naphthene content of Nigerian Light and the very high aromatics content of SJV contribute to their high
PONAs. For SJV, however, this high PONA is applied to only 4% of the crude. Note, also, the high sulfur and
nitrogen content of the SJV naphtha.

Kerosene is primarily processed into finished jet fuel or diesel. For jet fuel, critical properties are the flash
point, freeze point, smoke point, and sulfur and aromatics contents.

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Critical properties of kerosenes from the Arabian and foreign crudes are presented in Table 5. The yields from
the Arabian crudes are slightly lower than the average for the crudes shown. The high freeze point for kerosene
from Minas is evidence of the high paraffin content of all fractions from this crude. The low freeze point for
kerosene from SJV crude is due to the high naphthene content of the fraction.
TABLE 5. Properties of Straight Run Kerosenes (330 - 530 °F)
Property Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
Vol % of Crude 20.8 17.6 27.4 23.1 18.9 29.8 12.1
Gravity (°API) 44.6 43.7 40.9 41.7 45.3 37.1 30.8
Flash Pt (°F) 143 146 146 144 146 146 174
Freeze Pt (°F) -40 -34 -40 -40 -17 -35 -101
Smoke Pt 22 20 20 21 28 17 17
Sulfur (wt %) 0.26 0.49 0.01 0.06 0.02 0.07 0.39
Aromatics 20.0 22.7 N/A 20.5 15.6 18.5 18.0
(Vol %)

Light gas oils (LGO) are primarily finished into diesel fuel. The critical properties in the raw light gas oil are
the flash and pour point, sulfur content, and cetane number.

Comparative properties of light gas oils are shown in Table 6. Note the high pour point for Minas LGO and the
low pour point for SJV LGO. The sulfur content for the LGO fractions from the Arabian crudes are higher than
for any of the foreign crudes shown. Cetane number of diesel increases with the paraffin content of the LGO
fraction, which accounts for the high cetane for the Minas LGO and low cetane for LGO from SJV crude.
TABLE 6. Properties of Straight Run Light Gas Oils (510 - 680 °F)
Property Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
Vol % of Crude 16.8 14.9 14.1 16.7 16.4 23.8 18.4
Gravity (°API) 33.6 32.9 33.7 34.6 37.5 32.3 25.1
Flash Pt (°F) 277 281 272 180 270 265 254
Pour Pt. (°F) 20 20 20 20 55 40 -80
Sulfur (wt %) 1.44 1.62 0.07 0.31 0.05 0.15 0.66
Viscosity 4.0 4.8 4.3 1.4 5.2 7.4 5.8
(cs at 40 °F)
Cetane No. 50 49 50 50 57 48 35
Diesel Index 54 51 56 57 69 48 31

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In many refineries, the heavy gas oil (HGO) fraction is routed to a fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) rather
than to heavy fuel oil blending. While pour point and viscosity are a concern in either case, most other critical
properties look at this fraction's potential performance as FCCU feed stock.

The paraffinic crudes provide generally good cracking stocks as the long chain paraffinic molecules are easily
halved or split to gasoline and lighter boiling fractions. Aromatics and naphthenes do not crack as readily and
produce higher yields of less desirable products such as light gas (H 2, methane, ethane) and catalytic coke.

Sulfur, nitrogen, nickel, and vanadium are all poisons that inhibit the FCCU catalyst performance. In addition,
the sulfur and sometimes the nitrogen content of the FCCU charge stock can lead to environmental concerns
arising from the SO2 and NO2 emissions from the FCCU regenerator flue gas stack.

Table 7 presents a summary of properties of straight run heavy gas oils from the various crudes. Note the high
yield of the HGO from SJV crude (none from Arun). The Arabian crudes are average in all the properties
reviewed.

TABLE 7. Properties of Straight Run Heavy Gas Oils (650 - 1000 °F)
Property Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
Vol % of Crude 26.6 28.2 6.8 25.9 34.4 25.6 38.0
Gravity (°API) 23.5 21.7 24.8 26.1 32.6 22.3 12.6
Pour Pt. (°F) 85 85 85 95 120 90 30
Viscosity (cs at 6.0 7.7 6.9 5.6 4.2 8.6 24.3
Sulfur (wt %) 2.4 3.1 0.17 0.64 0.08 0.19 1.07
Nitrogen (ppm) 650 523 848 1240 466 700 5130
Nickel (ppm) 0.2 0.0 2.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 95
Vanadium 0.1 0.1 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 90
Paraffins 22.8 19.3 N/A N/A N/A N/A 1.1
(wt %)
Naphthenes 25.0 21.8 N/A N/A N/A N/A 29.1
(wt %)
Aromatics 52.2 58.9 N/A N/A N/A N/A 69.8
(wt %)

The high pour point of the Minas HGO, due to the paraffin content, and the low pour point of HGO from SJV
crude, due to the absence of paraffins, are noteworthy, as are the low gravity and high nitrogen and metals for
the SJV fraction.

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The residual fraction of crude can be blended into fuel oil, processed to asphalt, or thermally cracked in a coker
unit. Storage and transport of these materials is a concern due to the high density (may be heavier than water),
high pour points, and high viscosities. Heated and insulated storage tanks are often needed. The CCR of this
fraction is an indicator of coking tendencies, while the penetration test is an indicator of asphalt quality.

The sulfur, nitrogen, and metals contained in the residue will become contaminants to the coke and to the
liquid products from the coker that are routed to other process units.

Properties of residue from the designated crudes are shown in Table 8. Note the high yield and low gravity of
residual material from the SJV crude. This residual material also has higher viscosity, nitrogen, CCR, and
metals than residuals from the other crudes.

TABLE 8. Properties of Residua (950+ °F)

Property Arabian Arabian Arun Beryl Minas Nigerian SJV
Light Heavy Indonesia North Sea Indonesia Light California
Vol % of Crude 20.5 29.7 0 15.4 28.7 7.1 36.4
Gravity (°API) 9.6 5.2 --- 15.5 21.3 9.6 3.8
Pour Pt. (°F) 50 115 --- 115 115 120 120+
Viscosity (cs at 301 5061 --- 103 68 1050 7500
Sulfur (wt %) 3.9 5.6 --- 1.01 0.17 0.36 1.50
Nitrogen (ppm) 2895 1593 --- 3738 3062 3000 12,300
CCR (wt %) 14.9 20.9 --- 7.6 7.7 10.8 19.0
Nickel (ppm) 14.8 50.2 --- 4.8 34.4 43.4 150
Vanadium 72.1 151.9 --- 20.4 0.9 4.1 150

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Crude Oil Contaminants

The effects of several contaminants to the straight run fractions were reviewed in the previous section. Six
primary contaminants are of major concern to petroleum personnel because of their toxicity, potential for
corrosion, or fouling of the refining process.

• Sulfur

Sulfur commonly takes the forms of hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, sulfides, disulfides,
or thiophenes. All are odorous, and to some degree, toxic. Hydrogen sulfide is
particularly toxic as it quickly deadens the sense of smell and overcomes the exposed
individual.

Sulfur is also a catalyst poison that must be removed from naphtha prior to reforming.

• Nitrogen
Nitrogen can also take many forms, all of which are odorous and many of which are
corrosive. Cyanides are acute poisons. Nitrogen in the heavy gas oil fraction is an
inhibitor to FCCU catalyst performance.

• Oxygen
Oxygen, when it appears in the form of naphthenic acids, can be especially difficult to
manage in the refinery. Above 400 °F, naphthenic acids become very active, even when
present in low concentrations. The naphthenic acids, when heated, attack carbon steel
components of atmospheric heaters, atmospheric distillation towers, crude vacuum
heaters, vacuum distillation towers, and interconnecting lines. Virtually the only
solution is to replace, or line, carbon steel components with stainless steel.

• Metals
Common metals in crudes include arsenic, lead, nickel, and vanadium. All are catalyst
poisons in the refinery. Arsenic and lead affect reformer units. Nickel and vanadium
affect FCCUs.

In addition, vanadium can form alloys with some steels, leading to corrosion.

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. • Salts
Commonly measured as pounds of salt (NaCl) per thousand barrels of crude, salts can
form deposits under which corrosion occurs. Salts are extremely corrosive in areas such
as crude atmospheric distillation overhead vapor systems at the point of condensation.

• Chlorides
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. Most
such solvents boil in the same range as naphtha, leading to what amounts to
uncontrolled and greatly excessive chloride addition to the reformer unit. In several
documented cases, 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.

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GLOSSARY
alloy A physical and chemical addition of another metal into the structure of
carbon steel, thereby lending new properties to the resultant metal structure.

ammonia A gaseous compound, with a strong distinctive odor, the molecules of which
are composed of nitrogen and hydrogen.

aromatic Any of the unsaturated, six-carbon-atom ring compounds such as benzene,

toluene, and xylene.

arsenic A metal (symbol As) contaminant in crude oil.

assay A systematic compilation of data defining properties of a whole crude along

with yields and properties of various boiling fractions from that same crude.

catalyst A material that promotes, enhances, or otherwise provides the surface or

structure on which a chemical reaction takes place.

catalyst poison Any agent that inhibits or lessens the desired effects of a catalyst.

CCR (Conradson
Carbon Residue) The coke, asphalt, and gas oil residue from evaporating an oil to dryness.

cetane number A measure of the combustion quality of diesel fuels on a scale where the
quality of normal heptane is rated at 100. In general, straight-chain paraffin
compounds have higher cetane ratings than corresponding naphthenic or
aromatic compounds.

cetane index An approximation of the cetane number derived from the gravity and
distillation data for the diesel sample.

chloride Any compound where the chlorine atom is tied to the base molecule without
association with oxygen, nitrogen, or sulfur.

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condensate The liquid recovered from the compression and cooling of natural gas as it is
produced from the well. This light liquid contains mostly naphtha boiling-
range material.

contaminant Any undesirable material that appears with the crude oil or product of
interest. Contaminants may be naturally occurring or may be introduced by
inadvertent or deliberate action.

coker (coking) A thermal cracking process applied to the highest boiling fraction or residue
portion of crude oil.

cracking Any process that splits the molecules of gas oil fractions to lower boiling
range molecules, preferably to gasoline.

crude oil fraction Any portion of the crude oil which is produced by distillation and
condensation. Examples are naphtha, kerosene, and gas oils.

cyanide Any compound in which there is a triple bond between carbon and nitrogen
atoms. Cyanides are highly toxic compounds.

density The weight of a substance for a given unit of volume.

FCCU (Fluid Catalytic

Cracking Unit) A cracking process in which a fluidized bed of a solid powder catalyst is
employed to promote the cracking of gas oils to gasoline and lighter
products.

flash point The temperature to which a liquid sample must be heated in order that a
sufficient amount of vapor is created to sustain combustion.

fluidized Having the properties of a fluid.

freeze point The temperature to which a liquid sample must be cooled so that solid
crystals first begin to appear in the liquid.

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gravity A comparison of the density of a material to the density of water. Each

density is measured in grams/cc where water at 60 °F has a value of 1.000.
In the oil industry, the common measure of gravity is API gravity where:

gravity (°API) = 141.5 – 131.5

specific gravity

heavy crude Generally, a crude oil with an API gravity lower than 20.

heavy gas oil A crude oil fraction generally defined as having a boiling range of 650 to
1000 °F.

hydrogen sulfide A gaseous compound with a strong, distinctive odor, the molecules of which
are composed of sulfur and hydrogen.

kerosene A crude oil fraction generally defined as having a boiling range of 350 to 550
°F.

lead A metal (symbol Pb) contaminant in crude oil.

light crude Generally, a crude oil with an API gravity higher than 30.

light gas oil A crude oil fraction generally defined as having a boiling range of 500 to 700
°F.

mercaptan Odorous sulfur compounds where one bond of the sulfur atom is to hydrogen
with the other to the base molecule.

naphtha A crude oil fraction generally defined as having a boiling range of 150 to 380
°F.

naphthene Any of the saturated, six-carbon-atom ring compounds.

naphthenic acid Organic acids, where the acid function is associated with single or double
ring aromatic molecules. As such, naphthenic acids generally occur in heavy
gas oil fractions.

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nickel A metal (symbol Ni) contaminant in crude oil, generally associated as an

FCCU catalyst poison.

nitrogen A contaminant of crude oil. The nitrogen atom can be associated with
hydrocarbon molecules in a great variety of ways. Many of the resulting
compounds are odorous and toxic.

paraffin Any of the straight or branched chain saturated hydrocarbons.

PONA An acronym for Paraffins, Olefins, Naphthenes, and Aromatics. The PONA
factor for straight run naphtha is calculated as

PONA = vol % A + 0.85 (vol % N)

pour point The temperature, to the next highest 5 °F increment, to which a sample is
cooled such that it will no longer flow.

production The act of pumping, compressing, or releasing crude oil or natural gas from
its in-ground formation in a controlled manner such that it is collected and
transported for processing.

reformer A high temperature catalytic process that converts low octane naphtha to a
high octane gasoline blending component and produces hydrogen as a by-
product.

representative sample An average sample of any material, non-contaminated, that is expected to

exhibit all of the characteristics of the source that it represents.

residue (residuals) The highest boiling range fraction (above 1000 °F) derived from the
distillation of crude oil.

RVP Reid vapor pressure (RVP) is a measure of the vapor pressure exerted by a
liquid sample when heated to 100 °F under specified conditions.

salt Any contaminant of crude oil where a metallic or other positively charged
group of atoms is associated with a negatively charged atom or group of
atoms such that a solid form can be deposited in or on the process
equipment.

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sour crude Crude oil with a sulfur content above 1.5 wt %.

straight run A term for any crude oil fraction that indicates that the fraction was produced
solely from crude oil distillation and not from any chemical process.

sulfide A form of hydrocarbon-sulfur compound where both of the sulfur bonds are
to carbon atoms.

sulfur A contaminant of crude oil and products. The sulfur atom can be associated
with hydrocarbon molecules in a variety of ways. Most sulfur compounds
are odorous and toxic.

sweet crude Crude oil with a sulfur content below 1.5 wt %.

thiophene A hydrocarbon-sulfur ring compound composed of four carbon atoms and

one sulfur atom.

True Boiling Point TBP is the batch distillation of a large sample of distillation crude or product
under laboratory conditions where the volume recovered is measured and
compared at frequent intervals with the temperature at the top of the
distillation column.

vanadium A metal (symbol V) contaminant of crude oil, generally associated as an

FCCU catalyst poison.

viscosity A measure of the resistance of a liquid to flow.

yield The percentage of a product predicted or actually experienced as the result of

a processing activity.

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards 19