The past few years of sharp price declines in the oil industry had a corresponding effect on the amount of investment that companies and countries like Saudi Arabia made in finding new sources of this still-valuable commodity. That response may end up causing havoc within three years, according to the Saudi Energy Minister. Khalid al-Falih…
When petroleum engineers strike crude oil, they analyze it. There are two important qualities that are analyzed – the crude oil density, which determines whether the crude oil is classified as light or heavy and the sulfur content of the oil. Heavy oil is slow when it flows and its constituents are also heavier. Refining…
When the agreement by OPEC nations to reduce production to stimulate what’s been a stagnant price for a barrel of oil was first announced, the expectation was that the agreement wouldn’t last. The reason was that the particular interests of certain countries would take precedence over such allegiances, thereby rendering the pact worthless. That may…
A fraction refers to a portion of a thing and distillation means separation. Through the process of fractional distillation, crude oil is separated into its fractions. In its raw form, crude oil is a viscous, sticky and dark liquid, which is not of much use. To extract real value from crude oil, we have to…
Petroleum is a mixture of several hydrocarbons and chemicals. The composition will vary depending on where the petroleum was found. In fact, you can find out where a certain sample of petroleum came from through chemical analysis. However, there are some characteristic properties that are common to all varieties of petroleum. Common hydrocarbons Four kinds…
The extraction of shale oil (also known as tight oil) is an unconventional process of obtaining synthetic oil and gas. Oil shale is a type of sedimentary rock which is rich in organic content (bituminous stuff called kerogen). The organic content has to be treated to extract shale oil. The oil shale (rock containing the…
The three-year slide of oil prices has delivered a major hit to the financial stature of Saudi Arabia, primarily because of their status as the world’s top oil producer. While that title has seemingly fluctuated in the past year with Russia, the economic punch that those two nations provide has the ability to provide an…
During an economic forum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the West African nation of Equatorial Guinea came to an agreement on May 11 that brings the two countries together on a variety of business projects. One of those is an agreement that will help finance what will be the region’s largest terminal for oil storage….
Though the impact of Saudi Arabia within the American oil market has been diminished over time, their ability to maintain a very clear presence once again came into focus on May 1. That was when Saudi Aramco, the Kingdom’s state-run oil company, finalized an agreement to take complete control of the largest oil refinery in…
