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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum
liquid is compared to water: if its API gravity is greater than 10, it is lighter and floats on water; if less than
10, it is heavier and sinks.
API gravity is thus an inverse measure of a petroleum liquid's density relative to that of water (also known as
specific gravity). It is used to compare densities of petroleum liquids. For example, if one petroleum liquid is
less dense than another, it has a greater API gravity. Although mathematically, API gravity is a dimensionless
quantity, see the formula below, it is referred to as being in 'degrees'. API gravity is graduated in degrees on a
hydrometer instrument. API gravity values of most petroleum liquids fall between 10 and 70 degrees.

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History of development
API gravity formulas
Using API gravity to calculate barrels of crude oil per metric ton
Measurement of API gravity from its specific gravity
Direct Measurement of API gravity (Hydrometer method)
Classifications or grades
References
External links

In 1916, the U.S. National Bureau of Standards accepted the Baum scale, which had been developed in
France in 1768, as the U.S. standard for measuring the specific gravity of liquids less dense than water.
Investigation by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences found major errors in salinity and temperature
controls that had caused serious variations in published values. Hydrometers in the U.S. had been
manufactured and distributed widely with a modulus of 141.5 instead of the Baum scale modulus of 140.
The scale was so firmly established that, by 1921, the remedy implemented by the American Petroleum
Institute was to create the API gravity scale, recognizing the scale that was actually being used.[1]

The formula to calculate API gravity from Specific Gravity (SG) is:

Conversely, the specific gravity of petroleum liquids can be derived from their API gravity value as

Thus, a heavy oil with a specific gravity of 1.0 (i.e., with the same density as pure water at 60 F) has an API
gravity of:

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In the oil industry, quantities of crude oil are often measured in metric tons. One can calculate the
approximate number of barrels per metric ton for a given crude oil based on its API gravity:

For example, a metric ton of West Texas Intermediate (39.6 API) has a volume of about 7.6 barrels.

To derive the API gravity, the specific gravity (i.e., density relative to water) is first measured using either
the hydrometer, detailed in ASTM D1298 or with the oscillating U-tube method detailed in ASTM D4052.
Density adjustments at different temperatures, corrections for soda-lime glass expansion and contraction and
meniscus corrections for opaque oils are detailed in the Petroleum Measurement Tables, details of usage
specified in ASTM D1250. The specific gravity is defined by the formula below.

With the formula presented in the previous section, the API gravity can be readily calculated. When
converting oil density to specific gravity using the above definition, it is important to use the correct density
of water, according to the standard conditions used when the measurement was made. The official density of
water at 60 F according to the 2008 edition of ASTM D1250 is 999.016 kg/m3.[2] The 1980 value is
999.012 kg/m3.[3] In some cases the standard conditions may be 15 C (59 F) and not 60 F (15.56 C), in
which case a different value for the water density would be appropriate (see standard conditions for
temperature and pressure).

There are advantages to field testing and on-board conversion of measured volumes to volume correction.
This method is detailed in ASTM D287.

Generally speaking, oil with an API gravity between 40 and 45 commands the highest prices. Above 45,
the molecular chains become shorter and less valuable to refineries.[4]
Crude oil is classified as light, medium, or heavy according to its measured API gravity.
Light crude oil has an API gravity higher than 31.1 (i.e., less than 870 kg/m3)
Medium oil has an API gravity between 22.3 and 31.1 (i.e., 870 to 920 kg/m3)
Heavy crude oil has an API gravity below 22.3 (i.e., 920 to 1000 kg/m3)
Extra heavy oil has an API gravity below 10.0 (i.e., greater than 1000 kg/m3)
However, not all parties use the same grading.[5] The United States Geological Survey uses slightly different

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ranges.[6]
Crude oil with API gravity less than 10 is referred to as extra heavy oil or bitumen. Bitumen derived from
oil sands deposits in Alberta, Canada, has an API gravity of around 8. It can be diluted with lighter
hydrocarbons to produce diluted bitumen, which has an API gravity of less than 22.3, or further "upgraded"
to an API gravity of 31 to 33 as synthetic crude.[7]

1. API Degree history (http://www.sizes.com/units/hydrometer_api.htm)

2. Report on the Development, Construction, Calculation and Preparation of the ASTM IP Petroleum
Measurement Tables (ASTM D1250; IP 200), 1960, published by the Institute of Petroleum, 61 New Cavendish
Street, London, W.1 and American Society for Testing Materials, 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia 3, Pa.
3. API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards, Chapter 11.1 1980,Volume XI/XII, Adjunct to: ASTM
D1250-80 and IP 200/80
4. "Comments on Crude Oil Gravity Adjustments". Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved
6 January 2014.
5. Crude oil grades, Crudemonitor.ca, web PDF file: CMonitor-Gr-PDF (http://www.crudemonitor.ca/quickfacts
/misc/grades.pdf) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20071008191730/http://www.crudemonitor.ca
/quickfacts/misc/grades.pdf) October 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
6. USGS FS2006-3133_508, web PDF file: USGS-508-PDF (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3133/pdf
/FS2006-3133_508.pdf)
7. Canadian Centre for Energy Information. "What is crude oil?" (http://www.centreforenergy.com/AboutEnergy
/ONG/Oil/Overview.asp?page=2). Retrieved on: 2012-09-10.

Comments on API gravity adjustment scale (http://dnr.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/oilgas/productiondata

/comments_1989_rev.pdf)
Instructions for using a glass hydrometer measured in API gravity (http://www.globalsecurity.org
/military/library/policy/army/fm/10-67-1/APPI.HTML)
API Gravity Calculator (http://engineeringunits.com/api-gravity-calculator/)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=API_gravity&oldid=753315998"
Categories: Units of density Physical quantities Petroleum geology Petroleum production
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