The Oil Drum | Shutting Down Heavy?

60 comments on Shutting Down Heavy?

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Tux on October 12, 2005 - 4:34pm

Im curious how does heavy crude differ from light from refining perspective and how much more energy and money it requires?

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marcus on October 12, 2005 - 5:40pm

Also how much if any does the end product differ from a refined barrel of heavy oil as opposed to a barrel of light sweet. Is the quantity of high value end products such as gasoline and jet fuel appreciably less where it might make a real difference.

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Rick on October 12, 2005 - 5:42pm

Heavy crude does need additional processing equipment and procedures at greater cost. The main issue now is that refineries built only for light sweet crude (like many US refineries) cannot process heavy crude at all. Even if these refineries wanted to process heavy crude, they couldn't do it, and it would take years to add in the new equipment. I think it's capacity, not extra costs, that is the big issue right now.

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Magnus Redin on October 12, 2005 - 6:06pm

Were most of the refineris closed in USA sweet-light refineries?

Perhaps the refinery capacity cut in USA has not made any difference, it might even have been beneficial if it has made it easier to invest in equipment for handling heavy and sour crude.

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60 comments on Shutting Down Heavy?

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