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(from: Jon Naunton, Alison Pohl. Oxford English for Careers: Oil and Gas 2.)
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(from: Jon Naunton, Alison Pohl. Oxford English for Careers: Oil and Gas 2. )
Unit VIII. Exercise 9
Different Types of Crude Oil
Crude oil is particularly classified in types, by the content of sulfur and the density of the oil. These standards are set by the American Petroleum Institute, (API). According to the API, the gravity of the oil signifies the density. Oils with a gravity of more than 40 degrees, is considered as lighter oil, while oil with a gravity of less than 20 degrees is considered as heavy oil. Crude oil that has a gravity between 20 and 40 degrees is termed as moderate oil. Sulfur content defines the purity of oil. It is also a factor that tags the oil as sweet or sour. Sulfur is an acid and more amount of sulfur in the oil, terms the oil as sour and less amount of sulfur terms the oil as sweet.
Brent Blend. The name is derived from the geographical location it is extracted from. This blend has oils pouring from many oil fields from the north sea. This is termed as sweet, with 0. 37% sulfur, and a density of 38. 06 degrees. It is thus considered as light crude oil, which is mainly used to make petroleum and gasoline. Most of it is traded to the United States and Mediterranean countries.
West Texas Intermediate. This oil has low amounts of sulfur and density. The sulfur content is 0. 24% and the gravity or density is 39. 6 degrees. This oil can be termed as sweet and light crude oil. This is considered as a very fine quality of oil that can be refined to gasoline. This refining is done mostly in Gulf regions and the United States, due to the convenient location of the oil. Another interesting fact is that this oil also known as WTI, which is considered the bench mark for oil prices.
Russian Export Blend. This oil has been the bench mark for Russian crude oil. It has a density of 32 degrees and the sulfur content is 1. 2%. This makes it a sour type of oil due to the high amount of sulfur. Due to the gravity of this oil it is termed as medium density crude oil. The price for this oil is generally staged at the two major locations of delivery, which are Italy and Netherlands.
Dubai Crude. As the name suggests this oil comes from one of the largest oil producing countries in the world. The oil that is produced here is light in density, with a gravity of 31 degrees and a sulfur content of 2%. This oil is the bench mark for pricing oil that is exported in Asia.
These were the major types of crude oil in the world. The specific type of oil helps in planning of further distillation and production of different products. Crude oil forms a very important natural resource, and with its varied types and uses, it sure makes value worth a treasure!
(from: http: //www. buzzle. com/articles/types-of-crude-oil. html)
Unit IX. Exercise 11
It’s my job.
I work as a recording helper, or jug hustler. When oil companies are exploring for oil, they have to start by studying rock formation in the area. They want to find out what’s below the surface of the ground and hopefully fund oil. So, they employ geophysicists to study the physical characteristics of rocks. The geophysicists use seismic recording equipment to produce computer images of the land. It’s my job to move this equipment. I’m responsible for placing and removing cables and geophones used in tests. I have to check that everything’s in place and working well. I’m a line boss, so I have responsibility for four line crew helpers.
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It’s hard work. We work in difficult environments for twelve to fourteen hours a day, seven days a week. At the moment, I’m working 28 days on and seven days off. We have to unload the equipment from transport vehicles and then lay it out. The cables and equipment are very heavy and we have to carry them over a large area. Most days I walk between six and twenty kilometers! I left school with good results, but I didn’t want to study at college. I wanted an outdoor job with some excitement. So, I got a job as a jug hustler with an oil company. It’s a very physically-demanding job. The company gave me basic training in safety and petroleum industry hazards and I took a special driving test for driving heavy vehicles. I hope I can become a coordinator soon. Then I’ll have responsibility for all the field equipment, managing crew, and production.
(from: Jon Naunton, Alison Pohl. Oxford English for Careers: Oil and Gas 2. )
Unit IX. Exercise 12. 2
S – Steve, R – Rafic, A – Amin
S: What do you think about the oil sand, Rafic?
R: Well, it’s a good opportunity for Canada to get oil and make money.
A: Mm, yes. But its risky too. It’s very expensive to process. It’s OK if the price of oil is high, but when the price is low, it isn’t profitable.
S: I hear what you’re saying, but in my opinion, there are things that are more important than money. They should think about the environment as well. Some people say they are going to destroy a big area of forest.
R: Yes, but they can replant the forest afterwards. All companies respect the environment these days. What’s your view, Amin?
A: In my opinion, they should leave the oil where it is. We want to sell them our oil first!
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