Classification of crude oil:

Crude oils are classified on the basis of the various structural types of HCs. i.e
Alkenes , cyelo alkanes, aromatics and s-o-n compels present in it . the
classification also considers sulphur content of the crude oil. Crud oils are
considered as para-ffinic or alkanic if the total content of saturated HCs is
greater than 50% of a particular crude oil. It is considered as aromatic if the
total content of aromatic resins and asphaltens is more than 50%. The
aromatic oils are further divided on the basis of naphthene % and sulphur
content.

Concentrate Type of crude oil S content

S > 50% P>N &P>=40% Paraffinic oil < 1%
AA < 50% P>=N & N<= 40% Paraffinic-Naphthenic < 1%
N>P & N>40% Naphthenic < 1%
S <= 50% P > 10% Aromatic-Intermediate >1%
P>10% & N<=25% Aromatic Asphalthic >1%
AA >= 50% P>=10% N>=25% Aromatic Naphthenic < 1%

S : Salurates
AA: Asphaltene + Resin
P : Paraffin
N : Naphthenes

Physical Properties of crude oil:

The Physical Properties of crude oil affects its migration and accumulation into pools.
The detection of oil as well as its recovery from the oil well depends on the Physical
Properties of the oil. Following are the commonly studies Physical Properties of crude
oil .

1. colour:
it varies from colorless to pal amber to black. Commonly crude oil appears
brownish red in transmitted light and greenish in reflected light. Heavier oils are
blackish in color.

2. odour:
crude oil having a large proportion of aromatics gives pleasant odour, in case of
paraffin and haphthene based oil, odour is agreeable while oil having higher
amount of complex heavier HCs. Alongirth S, N and O compels . gives disagreeable
one.
 3. specific gravity:
it varies from 0.55 to 1 . it is an important property as price of the crude oil dependa
on it. As a rule , lighter the oil, higher is the proportion of commercially more
important HCs present in it. And therefore higher is its price . In general paraffin.
Based oil is better priced than asphalt-based oil. For measuring sp. grav. An
arbitrary scale devised by API is in use. In this scale sp. grav. Of water is taken as
10 ْ API. The liquids having lower and lower sp. grav. Than water receive higher
and higher number of the API degree. i.e. API degree shows inverse relationship
with specific gravity.

API ْ =(141.5 / specific gravity at 60 ْ F) – 131.5

By convection oil with than 30 ْ are considered as light those

between 22 ْ API and 32 ْ API are medium and those with values below 22 ْ API
are considered as heavy oils . the most favored grade of oil is 37 ْ API. Crude oils
with this specific gravity are common in middle east , Alberta and north sea . very
light crude oil above 40 ْ API occur in Algeria , Indonesia , SE Australia etc.
For the aromatic base cam bay crude oil average API value is 32 ْ API.

4. Viscosity of a liquid is a measure of resistance to flow or it is an inverse measure

of the ability of a substance to inverse relationship with temperature and shows an
inverse relationship with temperature i.e. as temperature increase , fluid becomes
more and more mobile. For oil industry it is an important property as the recovery
of oil from oil well as well as handling of oil depends on its viscosity. Eg: in case of
highly viscous oil , heating is required for its pumping as well as transport along
with temperature .amount of gas dissolved in oil also affect its viscosity as the gas
percentage present in gas increases its viscosity decreases . viscosity mainly
depends on the number of C atoms present in a member of HC series. Viscosity is
conventionally measured in centipoises 1 centipoises being viscosity of water at
20 ْ C. viscosity is more conveniently measured in time units in oil industry i.e. no.
of seconds needed for a steel ball to roll through a standard volume of fluid. Such a
unit is named say bolt universal second (SUS).

SUS = (viscosity in centipoises x 4635 )/(elative density)

Oil varies in viscosity from 1000 SUS to 50 SUS.

5. Refractive index:
It is defined as a ratio of sine of angle of incidence to sine of angle of
for crude of RI varies from 1.39-1.49 viscosity depends on the specific gravity .
heavier the oil, higher the RI. It is used in refinery operations.

6. fluorescence:
all crude oils exhibit fluorescence. Aromatic base oils