Key Terms |
Definition |
Alkylate |
The product of an alkylation reaction. It usually refers to
the high octane product from alkylation units. This alkylate is used
in blending high octane gasoline.
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Aromatics |
Hydrocarbons characterized by unsaturated ring
structures of carbon atoms. Commercial petroleum aromatics are
benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX).
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Asphalt |
A dark-brown-to-black cement-like material containing bitumens as the predominant constituent
obtained by petroleum processing; used primarily for road construction. It includes crude
asphalt as well as the following finished products: cements, fluxes, the asphalt content of
emulsions (exclusive of water), and petroleum distillates blended with asphalt to make
cutback asphalts. Note: The conversion factor for asphalt is 5.5 barrels per short ton.
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Barrel |
A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons.
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Barrels Per Stream Day |
The maximum number of barrels of input that a distillation facility can process within a
24-hour period when running at full capacity under optimal crude and product slate conditions
with no allowance for downtime.
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Hydrogen |
The lightest of all gases, occurring chiefly in combination with oxygen in water; exists also
in acids, bases, alcohols, petroleum, and other hydrocarbons.
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Isobutane |
A normally gaseous branch-chain hydrocarbon. It is a colorless paraffinic gas that boils at a
temperature of 10.9º F. It is extracted from natural gas or refinery gas streams.
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Isohexane |
A saturated branch-chain hydrocarbon. It is a
colorless liquid that boils at a temperature of 156.2 degrees
Fahrenheit.
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Isooctane |
Isooctane (C8H18). A saturated branch-chain hydrocarbon with chemical name 2,2,4 Trimethylpentane.
It is a colorless liquid that boils at a temperature of 211 degrees Fahrenheit. It defines the 100 point
on the octane rating scale.
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Isopentane |
A saturated branch-chain hydrocarbon obtained by fractionation of natural gasoline or
isomerization of normal pentane.
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Lubricants |
Substances used to reduce friction between bearing surfaces or as process materials
either incorporated into other materials used as processing aids in the manufacture of
other products, or used as carriers of other materials. Petroleum lubricants may be produced
either from distillates or residues. Lubricants include all grades of lubricating oils from
spindle oil to cylinder oil and those used in greases. |
Marketable Petroleum Coke |
Those grades of coke produced in delayed or fluid cokers which may be recovered as relatively
pure carbon. This "green" coke may be sold as is or further purified by calcining.
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Petroleum Administration for Defense (PAD) Districts |
Geographic aggregations of the 50 States and the District of Columbia into five districts
by the Petroleum Administration for Defense in 1950. These districts were originally defined
during World War II for purposes of administering oil allocation.
Description and maps of PAD Districts and Refining Districts.
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Production Capacity |
The maximum amount of product that can be produced from processing
facilities.
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Refinery |
An installation that manufactures finished petroleum products from crude oil, unfinished oils,
natural gas liquids, other hydrocarbons, and oxygenates.
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Road Oil |
Any heavy petroleum oil, including residual asphaltic oil used as a dust pallative and surface
treatment on roads and highways. It is generally produced in six grades from 0, the most liquid,
to 5, the most viscous.
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Short Ton |
A unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds.
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Sulfur |
A yellowish nonmetallic element, sometimes known as "brimstone." It is present at various
levels of concentration in many fossil fuels.
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