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Crude Oil


Crude oil is a mineral oil consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons of natural origin, being yellow to black in colour, of variable density and viscosity. It also includes lease condensate (separator liquids) which are recovered from gaseous hydrocarbons in lease separation facilities. For more information on a specific product, please see the following list:

Additives
Natural Gas Liquids (NGL)
Refinery Feedstocks

Additives
Additives are non-hydrocarbon substances added or blended with a product to modify its properties, for example, to improve its combustion characteristics e.g. alcohols and ethers (MTBE, methyl tertiary-butyl ether) and chemical alloys such as tetraethyl lead. However, ethanol is not included here, but under Gas/Liquids from Biomass.

Natural Gas Liquids (NGL)
NGLs are the liquid or liquefied hydrocarbons produced in the manufacture, purification and stabilisation of natural gas. These are those portion of natural gas which are recovered as liquids in separators, field facilities, or gas processing plants. NGLs include but are not limited to ethane, propane, butane, pentane, natural gasoline and condensate. They may also include small quantities of non-hydrocarbons.

Refinery Feedstocks
A refinery feedstock is a product or a combination of products derived from crude oil and destined for further processing other than blending in the refining industry. It is transformed into one or more components and/or finished products. This definition covers those finished products imported for refinery intake and those returned from the petro-chemical industry to the refining industry.

 


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