Sulfur increase seen mostly in heavy fractions of lower-quality crudes

Journal Article · Mon May 23 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Oil and Gas Journal; (United States)

OSTI ID:7102638

Dosher, J R; Carney, J T ^[1]

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1. Pace Consultants Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

Refiners are facing a continuing need to add bottoms-processing capacity as a result of gradually deteriorating crude oil quality and flat-to-declining demand for residual fuel oil. Marketing high-sulfur coke will become increasingly difficult, requiring refiners to take proactive and innovative approaches. There is a perception, especially among US refiners, that world crude production has been steadily deteriorating and will continue to do so well into the future. (Poorer quality is defined as lower API gravity and higher sulfur content.) The need to continually add bottoms-processing capacity in world refining is, however, only partially caused by a trend toward poorer-quality crude. As will be shown, world crude quality, including sulfur content, has been relatively constant and is not expected to change appreciably in the future. On the other hand, the world product slate has been consistently shifting toward more light, low-sulfur products. This trend is expected to continue well into the future. The coincident decline in demand for residual fuel oil has been the prime driving force for additional bottoms processing. The paper discusses US trends, world trends, product demand outlook, petroleum coking, and economic relationships.

• OSTI ID: 7102638
• Journal Information: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Oil and Gas Journal; (United States) Vol. 92:21; ISSN OIGJAV; ISSN 0030-1388
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
023000* -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
DEMAND
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY DEMAND
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL OILS
FUELS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
LIQUID FUELS
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RESIDUAL FUELS
SULFUR CONTENT
USA
VISCOSITY