Glossary

The refining process to obtain components of high octane gasolines. The process takes place in presence of hydrofluoric acid.

Density index used by the oil industry. The greater the API degree, the lower the density.

Unit of measure for liquids traditionally used in the petroleum industry. It consists of 42 American gallons and 159 liters by volume.

An aromatic substance with the most elementary molecular structure. It is found in crude oil and is used as a semi-finished product in petrochemical companies' production processes. It is a natural substance, a liquid hydrocarbon, found in fossil fuels. It was formed in the geologic era. It is also used as a solvent and in the preparation of chemical products, from dyes to plastic materials.

Diesel fuel which contains components derived from renewable raw materials, such as vegetable oils and animal fat.

A chemical transformation obtained through the use of a catalytic agent.

Chemical process by means of which some substances react with oxygen to produce thermal energy, carbon dioxide and water vapour.

A process that assures the continuous operation of the catalytic reforming process.

Emission by means of a stack that enables better dispersion of polluting substances into the environment, limiting their return to the surface of the earth.

The conversion of large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller ones. Cracking is carried out either at high temperatures (thermal cracking), or with the aid of a catalyst and high pressure (catalytic cracking and hydrocracking). The cracking process enables greater quantities of saturated hydrocarbons suitable for gasoline and other light fractions to be recovered from crude oil.

Organic mixture of hydrocarbons and other substances. It is the result of the transformation of micro-organisms and of sedimentation and transformation processes in the subsoil. Crude oil is found in liquid, solid and gaseous forms.

A process to eliminate the sulfur from petroleum products.

Dispersion into the environment of substances deriving from production plants, storage tanks and product-handling systems.

Any of a wide range petroleum products that result from atmospheric distillation, the primary refining step in which crude oil is separated into fractions or components. Light distillates refer to gasolines, medium distillates refer to jet and gasoils.

Discharge into the environment of foreign substances produced by human activity, whether domestic or industrial.

Chemical process to obtain an ether (organic compounds).

Crude oils with a sulfur content of less than 0.2% by weight.

The refining process of breaking down the larger, heavier, and more complex hydrocarbon molecules into simpler and lighter molecules. Fluid catalytic cracking is accomplished by the use of a catalytic agent, which is continuously regenerated and is an effective process for increasing the yield of gasoline from crude oil. Catalytic cracking processes fresh feedstocks as well as recycled feedstocks. 

A liquid petroleum product with a boiling range temperature of 200° – 370°C and an ignition temperature over 55°C that is typically used as a fuel for boilers, furnaces and internal combustion engines. The type of gasoil suitable for use in oil-fired heating plants and boilers is called heating oil, while the type suitable for internal combustion engines is called diesel.

A light liquid petroleum product that is typically used as a fuel for internal combustion engines

Chemical compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen, the principal components of crude oil and natural gas.

The conversion and desulphurization process (typically of vacuum gasoil) that takes place at high pressure and temperature in the presence of hydrogen and a fixed catalyst.

Chemical element in gaseous form widespread across the earth's crust, in the form of water and hydrocarbons.

The process of cracking in the presence of hydrogen, usually done at high-pressure and in the presence of a catalyser.

A power-generation system that first gasifies the heavy by-products of the refining process and then feeds the resulting synthetic gas into a combined-cycle system to generate electric power, hydrogen and steam.

The London-based International Petroleum Exchange.

Mixture of hydrocarbons used as jet fuel.

Liquified petroleum gas. A gas mixture used for fuel purposes, containing propane, propene, butane, or butene as its main components, that has been liquefied to enable it to be trans-ported and stored under pressure.

The hydrocracking process that takes place at lower pressures.

The control of the quality of the air and the environment around the refinery.

Methyl tertiary butyl ether, a high-octane component, or oxygenate, used as a gasoline component.

Relationship between mass and volume. The lower the density of oil, the greater is its content of light products. Light oil has an API degree of more than 35, medium oil between 28 and 35, heavy oil less than 28.

Large tanker ship designed and built to transport oil. Most modern oil tankers have double hulls in order to prevent oil spills at sea.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Many products derived from crude oil refining, such as ethylene, propylene, butylene and isobutylene, primarily intended for use as petrochemical feedstock in the production of plastics, synthetic fibres, synthetic rubbers and other products. A variety of products are produced for use as solvents, including benzene, toluene and xylene.

Substance that, released into the environment, may alter the latter's chemical/physical/biological characteristics.

Parts per million.

Measures and strategies adopted by companies in order to protect workers, the population and the environment against the risks deriving from industrial activity

The first process to which crude oil is subjected in order to obtain the various blends that make up the loads for refining processes and/or finished or semi-finished products.

A registered brand that identifies a process, owned by Axens, for the removal of sulphur from gasoline.

A facility used to process crude oil. The basic process unit in a refinery is a crude oil distillation unit, which splits crude oil into various fractions through a process of heating and condensing. Simple refineries normally have crude oil distillation, catalytic reforming, and hydrotreating units. The demand for lighter petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel, has increased the need for more sophisticated processing. Complex refineries have vacuum distillation, catalytic cracking, or hydrocracking units. Cracking units process vacuum oil into gasoline, gasoil, and heavy fuel oil.

Operation transforming crude oil into various derived products.

The difference, for any particular quantity of crude oil, between the value of all the refined petroleum products a firm is able to produce from such crude oil minus the cost of the crude oil (including associated costs such as transport, insurance, etc.).

Gasoline produced by the reforming plant and used to produce finished gasoline.

The refining process of dehydrogenation of virgin naphtha in order to obtain, primarily, low-octane bases for gasoline and hydrogen.

Summer Dead Weight Tons. A bulk vessel cargo-carrying capacity measured in tons.

Crude oils with a sulfur content higher than 1.0% by weight.

The operation of collecting and storing oil products in refinery storage facilities, from which they are sent to distribution and transformation points.

Crude oils with a sulfur content between 0.2% and 1.0% by weight.

Synthetic gas mainly composed by carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

Tertiary amyl methyl ether, a high-octane component, or oxygen-ate, used as a component in gasolines.

The heaviest fraction of crude oil after it has been subjected to a visbreaking process.

A refinery process designed to increase sulfur recovery, thereby reducing sulfur emissions into the atmosphere.

A chemical transformation resulting from an increase in temperature.

Technique by which heavy diesel is distilled without the need for high temperatures, thus limiting the formation of coke.

Oil product (light distillate) used as a base for petrochemical production.

A process by which the heavy intermediates oils derived from the two serial crude distillation processes (primary and vacuum distillation) are subjected to thermal conversion.