CRUDE OIL
• Fossil Fuel (Today’s World Dependence)
• Nonrenewable Energy Source
• Extracted from deep wells, either on land or on the seafloor
• Chemical Composition: Hundreds of chemicals including:
Nitrogen compounds
Oxygen compounds
Sulfur compounds (e.g. toxic Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S))
Heavy metal contaminants (Fe, Ni, Cu, Cr, V, etc.)
Hydrocarbons (the vast majority):
Alkanes (CnH2n+2) [also called Aliphatic hydrocarbons]
Methane (CH4), Ethane (CH3CH3), Propane (CH3CH2CH3),
Butane (CH3CH2CH2CH3), etc.
Waxes (longer chain alkanes, C>18 )
Isoalkanes & Cycloalkanes
Aromatic hydrocarbons
examples: Benzene (C6H6), Ethylbenzene, Xylenes, etc.
Asphaltenes (high molecular weight hydrocarbons)
CRUDE OIL
Commonly Used Chemical Sub-classifications in the Petroleum Industry:
• Olefinic: linear chain aliphatic hydrocarbons with double or triple bonds;
ethylene (C2H2) is the smallest olefin.
• Paraffinic: (paraffins, CnH2n+2) aliphatic hydrocarbons C6 – C18
longer chain aliphatics, C>18, are paraffin waxes
Naphtha is the lightest paraffin, then kerosene.
• Isoparaffinic: branched aliphatic hydrocarbons, generally C10 – C15
• Naphthalenic: naphthalene and related aromatics
• Asphaltic: high molecular weight cycloaliphatics
high viscosity lubricating oils
CRUDE OIL
More Terms, Commonly Used Chemical Sub-classifications:
• TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) subdivided by chain length:
GRO-TPH (gasoline range organics) C6 – C10
DRO-TPH (diesel range organics) C10 – C28
ORO-TPH (oil range organics) C28 – C>35
• VOCs (volatile organic compounds) include most GRO and some DRO
• BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes)
• PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
Some are carcinogenic, including the prototype PAH carcinogen,
Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]
CRUDE OIL
More Terms:
• Light crude oil: low paraffin wax content
• Heavy crude oil: higher density, high paraffin wax content,
flow rate is slow
• Sweet crude oil: low sulfur content
CRUDE OIL
• Extraction from deep wells
Onshore, Offshore, or Imported
• Transportation
Pipeline, Supertanker, Tanker, Barge, Truck, & Railcar
• Refineries
Gasoline, jet fuel, lubricants, kerosene,
asphalt, etc.
and then back to:
• Transportation & Storage
• Consumers
PRODUCTS OF REFINING CRUDE OIL
Per Barrel (44 gallons)
• Gasoline 19.5 gallons (44%)
• Distillate Fuel Oil 9.2 gallons (21%)
• Jet Fuel 4.1 gallons ( 9.3%)
• Residual Fuel Oil 2.3 gallons ( 5.2%)
• Liquefied Gases 1.9 gallons ( 4.3%)
• Still Gas 1.9 gallons ( 4.3%)
• Petroleum Coke 1.8 gallons ( 4.0%)
• Asphalt / Road Oil 1.3 gallons ( 3.0%)
• Lubricants 0.5 gallons ( 1.1%)
• Kerosene 0.2 gallons ( 0.5%)
• Other 1.5 gallons ( 3.3%)
OIL SPILLS
Environmental impacts are mostly due
to oil spills and
from combustion products
Exxon-Valdez 1989
Oil in the Marine Waters
Natural Seepage
Tanker & Supertanker Accidents
Platform Blow-out
Deepwater Horizon 2010
Deepwater Horizon Disaster
• Deepwater Horizon Platform
(semi-submersible mobile offshore drilling rig)
located in the Gulf of Mexico 50 miles south from the
tip of Louisiana and the mouth of the
Mississippi River
• Platform Explosion and Fire, April 20, 2010
• Well Blow-Out on sea bottom
5,000 ft depth
• Plugged on July 15, 2010
(after 86 days)
• Estimated 4.9 million barrels
(206 gallons)
OIL SPILL IMPACT
• Oiled birds and marine life
• Habitat disruption
• Fish, Shrimp, Crab, Oyster Beds
• Estuarine disruption
• Food chain issues
Oil Reached Marine Estuaries
RECOVER & REMEDIATION
Deepwater Horizon Spill
• Skimming
• Burning
• Dispersants (COREXIT 9500)
• Natural
Evaporation
Dissolution
Bacterial action
Sinks to bottom
OIL CONTAINMENT & RECOVERY
SHORE PROTECTION
SUMMARY
CRUDE OIL
• Chemical Composition
• Environmental Impacts
Combustion Products
Oil Spills
• Marine Wildlife
• Fisheries
• Habitats