AG

Arabian Gulf

AGO

Atmospheric gasoil

ALG

Algerian

Alkylate

A gasoline blending component composed of isobutane and propylene or butylene.

Aniline point

Reports the aromatics content of a mixture.

ANS

Alaska North Slope

API

American Petroleum Institute

API gravity

An arbitrary scale expressing the gravity or density of liquid petroleum products devised jointly by the American Petroleum Institute and the National Bureau of Standards. The measuring scale is calibrated in terms of degrees API. Oil with the least specific gravity has the highest API gravity.

ARA

Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Antwerp

Aromatics

Group of petrochemicals characterized by a ring structure, they are produced in refinery reformers and petrochemical plants.

The most commonly traded are benzene, toluene and xylenes. They are used for chemical production or as high-octane components for gasoline blending.

Asphaltene

ASPH

1. A mixture of bitumen and mineral aggregate as prepared for the construction of roads or in other paving uses.

Asphalt

2. in the US it refers to the product that is known as bitumen in the rest of the world.

ATL

Atlantic

AUD

Australian dollar

Avails

Availabilities

Avgas

High octane aviation gasoline used in piston type aircraft engines.

Backwardation

Market situation where prices are highest in the nearest date periods and are lower in forward delivery dates.

Barge

A vessel carrying oil usually on rivers - containing between 8,000 to 50,000 bbl or weighing 1,000 to 10,000mt. In the US, barges can be up to 100,000 bbl, and some are even a bit larger.

Barrel

A volumetric unit of measure for crude oil and petroleum products. 1 barrel equals 42 US gallons, 35 imperial gallons or 159 liters.

Bill of Lading

Documentation associated with a specific cargo of oil and is signed by the captain of the ship and the contract supplier.

Blendstock

A component combined with other materials to produce a finished refined product.

BS&W

Bottom sediment and water, usually expressed as a percentage by weight.

BTU

British Thermal Unit

BTX

Benzene, toluene and xylene.

BTX extraction

The process for removing benzene, toluene and xylene from reformate or pyrolysis asoline.

Bunker C

A residual fuel used as ship's fuel, usually has a high sulfur content and high viscosity.

Catfeed

Feedstock to a catalytic cracker, usually vacuum gasoil.

Cat gasoline

(cat naphtha) A gasoline blending component made in a cat cracker.

CD

Canadian dollar

Cetane

A paraffinic hydrocarbon used hydrocarbon used as an additive in diesel fuel.

Cetane Number

Number equal to the percentage by volume of cetane added to basic diesel fuel to achieve specific ignition performance characteristics.

C+F

Cost and Freight

CFD

Contract For Differences. A type of crude oil swap.

CFPP

Cold filter plugging point

CIF

Cost, insurance and freight charges for shipping products. CIF prices include these charges.

Cloud Point

The temperature at which a fuel, when cooled, begins to congeal and take on a cloudy appearance due to bonding of paraffins.

CNR

Charterer not revealed

COA

Contract of affreightment between ship owner and charterer.

Contango

Market situation where prices are progressively higher for forward delivery dates than for nearer delivery dates.

Cracked

Molecules broken by certain refining processes...the opposite of straight-run.

Cracked fuel

Residue remaining after a straight run fuel has been processed by enhanced refining methods such as catalytic cracking.

Credit

Terms of payment, i.e. 5, 10 days.

CST

Centistokes - A way of measuring viscosity similar to seconds.

CT

Cent

CTS

Cents

CUM

Cubic meters

Demurrage

The detention of a vessel in loading or unloading beyond the time agreed upon. Demurrage charges are usually incurred for any delay.

DERD

Directorate of Engine Research and Development. It is a UK Ministry of Defense jet fuel specification.

Diesel Index

A measure of the ignition quality of a diesel fuel calculated from a formula involving the gravity of the fuel and its aniline point.

Diff

Differential, usually between two prices.

DM

Deutschemark

Dtd

Dated

Eff

Effective.

E-4

C.I.S. high sulfur straight-run feedstock. Formerly called F-10.

EFP

Exchange of futures for physicals.

FCCU

Fluid catalytic cracking unit.

Feedstock

Material used in a processing plant.

FCC

First class charterer

FCC

Fluid catalytic cracker or cat unit.

FFR

French franc

Flash Point

The lowest temperature under very specific conditions at which a combustible liquid will give off sufficient vapor to form a flammable mixture with air in a standardized vessel. Assesses the volatility of the product.

FOB

Free on board. fob prices exclude all, insurance and freight charge

FOD

Fuel Oil Domestique

FOR

Free on rail

FORTIES

The first substantial oil field in the British sector of the North Sea.

FOT

Free on truck

FR

France

FR. ATL.

French Atlantic

GAL

gallon

Gasoil

An intermediate distillate product used for diesel fuel, heating fuel and sometimes as feedstock. Term is often used interchangeably with No. 2 heating oil.

GBP

Pound sterling

CARIBS

Caribbean

G/L

Grams per liter

GOM or G.M.

Gasoil Moteur -- French gasoil spec.

Group 3

Formerly three railroad companies in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Group 3 now refers to the pipeline price of petroleum commodities from Tulsa to Minnesota.

Group 120

South Texas reporting group. In December 1982, this group stopped reporting and was replaced the following year by Group 140.

Group 140

Conway, Kansas group of propane producers, replaced Group 120 in January 1983.

HDA

Hydrodealkylation, a process used for making benzene from toluene.

Heavy crude oil

Has API gravity lower than 28 degrees. The lower the API gravity, the heavier the oil.

HKD

Hong Kong dollar

HLS

Heavy Louisiana Sweet

HO

Heating oil

H/P

High pour

HS

High sulfur

HSFO

High sulfur fuel oil

IOC

Indian Oil Corp.

IPE

International Petroleum Exchange

Isomerate

A gasoline blendstock made in an isomerization unit

ITT

In-tank transfer

Kero

Kerosene

KT

one thousand metric tons.

L.A.

Los Angeles

Landed Cost (of oil)

The cost of oil off-loaded at a port. Similar to CIF, but would also include any duties fees or taxes.

Lifting

Tankers and barges loading petroleum at a terminal or transfer point.

Light crude oil

Has an API gravity higher than 33 degrees. The higher the API gravity, the lighter the crude oil.

Light products, light ends

The group of petroleum products with lower boiling temperatures including gasolines and distillate fuels.

LLS

Light Louisiana Sweet

LNG

Liquefied natural gas

L/P

Low pour

LPG

Liquefied petroleum gases such as propane and butane produced at refineries or natural gas processing plants, including plants that fractionate raw natural gas plant liquids.

LS

Low sulfur

LSFO

Low sulfur fuel oil

LSWR

Low sulfur waxy residual fuel oil

LVN

Light virgin naphtha

Med

Mediterranean

Metric Ton

A standard measurement: averages 7.33 barrels of crude oil.

Midgrade unleaded

Unleaded gasoline with a 89 R+M/2 octane rating.

MOGAS

Abbreviation for motor gasoline

MON

Motor Octane Number

MT

Metric ton

MTBE

Methyl tertiary butyl ether -- an octane booster and oxygenate used for gasoline blending.

MTH

Month

MYR

Malaysian ringgit

Naphtha

Straight-run gasoline fractions. Used as a feedstock for reforming and as a petrochemical feedstock.

N+A

Naphthenes and aromatics

N/A

Not applicable

Naphthenic

A high naphthenes content