The term petroleum refers to both the naturally occurring crude oil and the petroleum products produced from refined crude oil. Petroleum itself is a naturally occurring organic compound found trapped within geological structures throughout our earth’s sedimentary layers. These fossil fuels are derived from the bodies of dead organisms amassed in large quantities and are then subjected to extreme heat and pressure over millions of years to create the fossil fuels we find nowadays.

Today, petroleum is extracted using oil drilling methods after meticulous studies are carried out involving geological structures, sedimentary basin analysis and characterization of the reservoir in question. Once extracted, the crude oil is refined and separated using distillation. After this process, the manufacturer is left with a wide range of consumer products such as gasoline, kerosene, asphalt, and chemical reagents. It is estimated that the world use of petroleum now tops over 95 million barrels consumed each day.

Types

In recovering or purchasing oil, you will notice that the make-up of crude oil is not the same across the world. When grading oil, three factors are usually called into question; viscosity, volatility and toxicity. These three categories have helped define four main types of crude oil and their best commercial uses.

• Very Light Oils
  
  • Uses: Jet Fuel, Gasoline, Kerosene, Petroleum Ether, Petroleum Spirit, and Petroleum Naphtha
  • Features: Very volatile and evaporates within a few days, evaporating its toxicity.
• Light Oils
  
  • Uses: Grade 1 and Grade 2 Fuel Oils, Diesel Fuel Oils as well as Most Domestic
• Fuel Oils
  
  • Features: Moderately volatile and toxic.
• Medium Oils
  
  • Uses: Most common type of Crude Oil available for consumer use.
  • Features: Low volatility, high viscosity in comparison to light oils, high toxicity.
• Heavy Fuel Oils
  
  • Uses: Grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 Fuel Oils along with Heavy Marine Fuels.
  • Features: Most viscous, least volatile, and most toxic crude oils.

Petroleum Applications

• Agriculture
  
  • Increases yield of crops due to the availability of agricultural vehicles and by-products such as pesticides and fertilizers.
• Chemicals and Misc.
  
  • Bulk tar, asphalt, petroleum coke, aromatic petrochemicals, plastics
• Food, Beverage & Retail
  
  • It can be used to create wax products for sealing frozen foods
• Fuels
  
  • LPG, Butane, Gasoline/Petrol, Jet Fuel, Kerosene, Fuel Oil, and Diesel Fuel
• Industrial Materials
  
  • Such as sulfur or sulfuric acid
• Lubricants
  
  • It can be used to create light machine oils, motor oils, greases, and viscosity stabilizers

Galveston County plays host to a vast network of pipelines running throughout the county in efforts to transport multitudes of gaseous products. These pipelines extend offshores and to our local ports to provide one of the most diverse ranges of chemical products in a concentrated area.

With an large area of industrial space, direct access to two port-systems, as well as some of the longest stretches of Interstate 45 access running down its length, Galveston County is primed to offer some of the best opportunities for your petroleum intensive project. Contact our office today to learn how we can help your venture take the next steps towards success.