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The chemical profiles, or crude oil assays, specify important properties such as the oil's API gravity. The delivery locations are usually sea ports close to the oil fields from which the crude was obtained (and new fields are constantly being explored), and the pricing is usually quoted based on FOB ( free on board , without consideration of ...
Petroleum, or evidence of its immediate occurrence, can be found on the surface of the Earth. Oil seeps can be found near a fault zone, where the movement of Earth's crust can expose petroleum source rock, and thus the crude oil itself. [15] They can also be found on the ocean floor, and can be found using satellite imaging. [16]
Petroleum products are materials derived from crude oil as it is processed in oil refineries. Unlike petrochemicals, which are a collection of well-defined usually pure organic compounds, petroleum products are complex mixtures. [1] Most petroleum is converted into petroleum products, which include several classes of fuels. [2]
Each crude oil has unique molecular characteristics which are revealed by the use of crude oil assay analysis in petroleum laboratories. [83] Barrels from an area in which the crude oil's molecular characteristics have been determined and the oil has been classified are used as pricing references throughout the world.
Oil depletion is the decline in oil production of a well, oil field, or geographic area. [1] The Hubbert peak theory makes predictions of production rates based on prior discovery rates and anticipated production rates.
Petroleum refinery in Anacortes, Washington, United States. Petroleum refining processes are the chemical engineering processes and other facilities used in petroleum refineries (also referred to as oil refineries) to transform crude oil into useful products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline or petrol, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel oil and fuel oils.
Crude oil made up 24% of production in 2021. [22] Oil has more than doubled from a slump in the early 2000s, even surpassing its previous peak in 1970. Imports have declined during the same time period, but the US still net imports 20% of consumption. [26] The US has been the largest producer of crude oil since 2018, ahead of Saudi Arabia. [4]
With the advent of the motor car, crude oil came into demand as a fuel. By 1911 petrol surpassed kerosene in sales as the fuel for most vehicles. [1] [2]: 48 Most petroleum consumed in Australia was imported but, between 1865 and 1952, various companies made a small proportion locally, from oil shale.