Just What is in Crude Oil?

The unprocessed oil that comes out from the ground is called crude oil, also known as petroleum. Crude oil is one of the fossil fuels from which we get energy. It was made naturally from decaying plants and animals living in ancient seas millions of years ago found any place where there were once sea beds. Crude oil varies in its consistency from water to almost solid, and varies in color from clear to tar-black.

The hydrocarbons (molecules containing both hydrogen and carbon) in crude oils are a useful starting point for so many different substances. Hydrocarbons contain a lot of energy. This energy is captured in the products derived from crude oil like gasoline, diesel fuel, methane, and paraffin wax.

The make-up of crude oil consists of the following elements or compounds: 84% carbon,14% hydrogen, 1 to 3% sulfur as hydrogen sulfide, sulfides, disulfides, elemental sulfur, less than 1% nitrogen, less than 1% oxygen found in organic compounds such as carbon dioxide, phenols, ketones, carboxylic acids, less than 1% metals (nickel, iron, vanadium, copper, arsenic) and less than 1% salt (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride).

Hydrocarbons can take on many different forms. Methane (CH4) is the smallest hydrocarbon. This is a gas that is a lighter than air. Hydrocarbons come in different molecular forms. Longer chains with 5 or more carbons are liquids. Very long chains are solids like wax or tar. By chemically cross-linking hydrocarbon chains you can get a variety of different products like synthetic rubber, nylon, and even plastic.

The major classes of hydrocarbons in crude oils include paraffins (typically liquids such as methane, propane, butane), aromatics, (typically liquids such as benzene, naphthalene), and napthenes or cycloalkanes (typically liquids at room temperature such as cyclohexane, methyl cyclopentane). Hydrocarbons called alkenes which can be either liquid or gas are ethylene, butene, isobutene. Other hydrocarbons which also can be either liquid or gas are dienes and alkynes (acetylene, butadienes). Hydrocarbons are indeed versatile depending on their cross-linking.

Through heating and chemical processing, crude oil can be made into many different products. It is a great resource. Oil companies like Triple Diamond Energy Corporation supply barrels of crude oil to refineries where everything is separated into useful substances. Chemists separate things into various components by heating the crude oil, vaporizing it and then condensing it. This process is called fractional distillation. The refineries must treat the fractions to remove impurities. Chemical processing on some of the fractions to make others in the process is called conversion. So if the demand for gasoline increases, a refinery can change diesel fuel into gasoline. Refineries also combine the various fractions into mixtures to produce more desired products like gasoline with different octane ratings. In addition to making the different oil-based products, refineries are responsible to treat the wastes involved to minimize pollution.

Chris Jent is the Chief Marketing Officer of Triple Diamond Energy Corp. Triple Diamond Energy specializes in acquiring the highest quality prime oil and gas properties. For more information, visit http://www.triplediamondenergycorp.blogspot.com.