U. S. refiners face declining crude quality, insufficient price spread

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Oil and Gas Journal; (United States)

OSTI ID:6560805

Swain, E J ^[1]

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1. Bechtel Corp., Houston, TX (United States)

Refiners in the US have been processing crudes of moderately declining quality over the past 10 years. API gravity has decreased by about 0.17[degree]/year over the period while sulfur content has increased by 0.027 wt %/ year. Meanwhile, the ratio of heavy crudes to light crudes imported by US refiners has leveled, after increasing in the early 1980s. The price differential for heavy-to-light crude oils is not as great as was anticipated by those refiners that modified heavy processing facilities in the early 1980s. And at the current price spread, the amount of capital available for heavy-end upgrading facilities will be limited. This article discusses crude quality by updating a previous article by adding 1991 data. The economics of this quality change are explained with examples from Petroleum Administration for Defense District 3 and 5.

• OSTI ID: 6560805
• Journal Information: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States) Vol. 91:9; ISSN OIGJAV; ISSN 0030-1388
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020700* -- Petroleum-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
API GRAVITY
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
DENSITY
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MODIFICATIONS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRICES
SULFUR CONTENT
VISCOSITY