Petroleum Glossary

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A

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Abandoned Pipeline - A transmission pipeline that has been permanently removed from service and left in place.
Associated Gas - A well drilled as part of an appraisal drilling program which is carried out to determine the physical extent, reserves and likely production rate of a field.

B

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Bacdkfill - The filling in of a void in a utility ditch that was created by excavation, usually by replacing the soils that were removed.
Barrel - A volume measure equal to 42 U.S. gallons or approximately 160 liters.
Base Gas - Gas in a storage reservoir which provides the pressure necessary for designed withdrawals of working gas.
Batch - A shipment of one type of product through a pipeline.
Batching Sequence - The order in which specific volumes of petroleum product are sent through a pipeline.
Battery Site - A gas or oil facility with product separation and multiphase delivery point measurement for one or more wells.
Benchmark Crude - A reference crude oil with whom the prices of other crudes are compared with.
Blowdown - Condensate and gas is produced simultaneously from the outset of production.
Blowout - When well pressure exceeds the ability of the wellhead valves to control it.
Blowout Prevention - Casinghead equipment that prevents the uncontrolled flow of oil, gas and mud from the well by closing around the drillpipe or sealing the hole.
Bore - Trenchless stream crossing method by which a hole is drilled horizontally from bell hole to bell hole (with or without casing) to allow the installation of a pipeline.
Bottoms - Residue remaining in a distillation unit after the highest boiling point material to be distilled has been removed.
Bottom Sediment Water - Water, being heavier than oil, will collect in the bottom of tanks if water is being produced with the oil. This water will contain some sediment material produced out of the well.
Bridge Plug - A downhole tool (composed primarily of slips, a plug mandrel, and a rubber sealing element) that is run and set in casing to isolate a lower casing interval while testing an upper section.
Bulk Station - A facility used primarily for the storage and/or marketing of petroleum products which has a total bulk storage capacity of less than 50,000 barrels and receives its petroleum products by tank car or truck.

C

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Casinghead Gas - Gas found naturally in oil and produced with the oil.
Coal - A readily combustible black or brownish-black rock whose composition, including inherent moisture, consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time.
Co-Generation - The simultaneous generation of electricity and thermal energy (heat/steam process), through the sequential and efficient use of energy volumes from the same source. This increases the thermal efficiency of the thermodynamic system as a whole.
Commercial Field - An oil and/or gas field judged to be capable of producing enough net income, at sufficiently low risk, to make it economic for development.
Crack Spread - The difference in value between crude oil and the product or products refined from it, a reflection of Refining Margin.
Cushion Gas - The amount of gas required in a storage pool to maintain sufficient pressure to keep the working gas recoverable.

D

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Daisy Chain - The process by which a cargo of oil or oil products is sold many times before being delivered to the customer.
Developer - An individual or group of individuals who imply for permits to alter, construct and install buildings or improvements or change the grade on a specific piece of property.
Dissolved Gas - Commonly referred to as solution gas.
Distillate - Generic name for kerosene, diesel fuel and heating oil.
Distillation Pipeline - A natural gas pipeline other than a gathering or transmission line. A distribution pipeline is generally used to supply natural gas to the consumer and is found in a network of piping located downstream of a natural gas transmission line.
Domestic Crude Oil - Crude oil produced in the United States including the outer continental shelf.
Downstream - A sector of the petroleum industry that refers to the refining of crude oil, and the products derived from crude oil
Dry Sand - Nonproductive sand encountered in drilling.

E

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F

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Facility - A buried or underground conductor, pipe, or structure used to provide utility services, such as electricity, natural gas, liquids refined from oil, oil, sewage, storm drains, telecommunications, or water.
Facility Operator - Any person, utility, municipality, authority, political subdivision or other person or entity who operates or controls the operation of an underground line or facility.

G

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Gas Field - A field containing natural gas but no oil.
Gas Injection - The process whereby separated associated gas is pumped back into a reservoir for conservation purposes or to maintain the reservoir pressure.
Gas Lift - A system of pumping petroleum by gas instead of air.
Gas Oil - A liquid petroleum distillate having a viscosity intermediate between that of kerosene and lubricating oil. It derives its name from having originally been used in the manufacture of illuminating gas. It is now used to produce distillate fuel oils and gasoline.
Gas Transmission Line - A pipeline or other than a gathering line, that transports gas from a gathering line or storage facility to a distribution center, storage facility, or large volume customer that is downstream from a distribution center.
Gathering Line - A pipeline that transports oil or gas from a central point of production to a transmission line or mainline.
Guy Anchor - The support to which derrick guys are attached.
Guy Ring - Rings on the head block of a derrick mast to which the guy ropes are attached.

H

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Hazardous Liquid - Includes petroleum, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia, and carbon dioxide.
Hazardous Liquid Pipeline - All parts of a pipeline facility through which a hazardous liquids move in transportation, including, but not limited to, line pipe, valves, and other appurtenances connected to line pipe, pumping units, fabricated assemblies associated with pumping units, metering and delivery stations and fabricated assemblies therein, and breakout tanks.
Heavy Gas Oil - Petroleum distillates with an approximate boiling range from 651 degrees Fahrenheit to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heavy Oil - Lower gravity, often higher viscosity oils. Normally less than 28° API gravity.
High Consequence Area - A location that is specifically defined in pipeline safety regulations as an area where pipeline releases could have greater consequences to the health and safety or the environment.
High-Sulfur Distillate Fuel Oil - Distillate fuel oil having sulfur content greater than 500 ppm.
Hub - A location where several pipelines interconnect.

I

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Independent Producer - An energy company, usually in the exploration and production segment of the industry and generally, with no marketing, transportation or refining operations. A non-integrated producing company in the oil industry.
Inhibitor - An additive that retards or stops an undesired chemical reaction such as spontaneous polymerization.

J

K

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Knockout - A separator used to remove excess gas or water from the produced fluid stream.
Knockout Drum - A vessel wherein suspended liq- uid is separated from gas or vapor.

L

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Lease - Legal document giving an operator the right to drill for or produce oil or gas; also, the land on which a lease has been obtained.
Lifting Costs - The operating costs of producing oil or gas from a well, licence or lease.
Light Gas Oil - Liquid petroleum distillates heavier than naphtha, with an approximate boiling range from 401 degrees to 650 degrees Fahrenheit.

M

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Midstream - The processing, storage and transportation, primarily pipelines, sector of the petroleum industry.

N

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Natural Gas - Gas, occurring naturally, and often found in association with crude petroleum.

O

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Oil Pool - A term applied to a productive oil field, an accumulation of liquid hydrocarbons in sedimentary rock that yields petroleum on drilling.
Operator - A person, acting for himself or as an agent for others and designated to the Commission as the one who has the primary responsibility for complying with its rules and regulations in any and all acts subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.
Overproduction - Production in excess of the well's monthly allowable.
Ozone - Ground-level ozone is a colourless gas that forms just above the earth’s surface.

P

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Pool - A natural underground reservoir containing an accumulation of petroleum.

Q

R

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Reactor - The vessel in which chemical reactions takes place.
Reclamation - The process of restoring the surface area of a well site, access road and related facilities to original conditions.
Reduced Crude - The product obtained after removal, by atmospheric distillation, of the light components of crude oil.
Regasification - The process by which LNG is heated, converting it into its gaseous state.
Reseller - A firm (other than a refiner) that is engaged in a trade or business that buys refined petroleum products and then sells them to a purchaser who is not the ultimate consumer of those refined products.
Reservoir - A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.
Residue - The bottoms from a crude oil distilling unit, vacuum flasher, thermal cracker or visbreaker.

S

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Sea Star - A semi-submersible type of oil rig used for depths of up to 3500 feet. The oil rig rests on hollow barges in a star configuration which is attached to the sea bed with tension legs that allow for a bit of movement due to rough weather.
Spot Market - Short term, non-regulated, arms length contract sales of natural gas, crude oil, refined products, or liquid petroleum gas.
Stack Gas - Anything that comes out of a burner stack in gaseous form, usually consisting of mostly nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
Sulfur - A yellowish nonmetallic element, sometimes known as brimstone. It is present at various levels of concentration in many fossil fuels whose combustion releases sulfur compounds that are considered harmful to the environment.
Sulfur Dioxide - A major component of a group of airborne contaminants termed acidifying emissions.
Sweet Crude - Has a sulfur content of less than 0.5% by weight.
Sweet Gas - All natural gas except sour gas and casinghead gas.

T

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Tail Ends - Small amounts of hydrocarbon in a cut that vaporizes slightly outside the effective initial boiling point and the effective end point.
Tail Gas - The lightest hydrocarbon gas released from a refining process.
Tail Gas Treating Unit - Refinery process unit used to control emissions of sulfur compounds; generally integrated with a sulfur recovery unit.
Tank Farm - A term applied to a battery of storage tanks.
Tank Station - A tank farm located alongside of a pipeline.
Tank Battery - A group of tanks at a well site used to store oil prior to sale to a pipeline company.
Thermal Cracking - Conversion of heavy oil molecules into lighter fractions by the use of high temperatures without the aid of catalysts.
Tight Gas - Natural gas produced from relatively impermeable rock. Getting tight gas out usually requires enhanced technology applications like hydraulic fracturing. The term is generally used for reservoirs other than shale.
Topsides - Facilities designed for the production of oil & gas in an offshore environment. Topsides are designed to sit on a fixed or floating base. Topsides may include equipment or facilities for drilling, production, and/or accommodation of offshore personnel.
Tot Tap - Tapping into a pipeline to add a new section of pipe, a branch, valve or pump.
Transmission Pipeline - When not specified includes both hazardous liquids and natural gas transmission pipelines. These pipelines carry oil, petroleum products, natural gas, natural gas liquids, anhydrous ammoia and carbon diozide from producing regions of the country to markets.
Transmission Pipeline Corridor - A linear area where pipeline systems are closely grouped in a single right-of-way.
Turbine Oil - A well refined, selected petroleum distillate, or mixture of such with a bright stock, used for lubricating steam turbines. These oils show high resistance to emulsification with water and to oxidation under conditions of use.
Turnaround - A planned complete shutdown of an entire process or section of a refinery, or of an entire refinery to perform major maintenance, overhaul, and repair operations and to inspect, test, and replace pro- cess materials and equipment.

U

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Unlined Pit - The ground is excavated to create a dugout to store fresh water.
Upstream - A sector of the petroleum industry referring to the searching for, recovery and production of crude oil and natural gas. Also known as the exploration and production sector.

V

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Vapor Lock - Is the phenomenon of insufficient gasoline flow from a fuel pump due to its inability to pump the mixture that results from low pressure or high temperature, which has high volatility.
Virgin Stock - Petroleum oils that have not been cracked or otherwise subjected to any treatment that would produce appreciable chemical change in their components.

W

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Water Gas - A gas made by forcing steam over incandescent carbon (coke) whereby there results a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Well - A hole drilled to find or delimit a petroleum deposit and/or produce petroleum or water for injection purposes, inject gas, water or another medium, or map or monitor well parameters. A well may consist of one or more well paths and may have one or more terminal points.
Wire Rope - A rope whose strands are made of wires and twisted or woven together.
Worm - A coil of pipe for condensing vapors.