| Key Terms |
Definition |
| Aviation Gasoline Blending Components |
Naphthas which will be used for blending or compounding into finished aviation gasoline
(e.g., straight-run gasoline, alkylate, reformate, benzene, toluene, and xylene).
Excludes oxygenates (alcohols, ethers), butane, and pentanes plus. Oxygenates are reported as
other hydrocarbons, hydrogen, and oxygenates.
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| Barrel |
A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons.
|
| Conventional Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending (CBOB) |
Motor gasoline blending components intended for blending with oxygenates to produce finished conventional
motor gasoline.
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| Conventional Gasoline |
Finished motor gasoline not included in the oxygenated or reformulated gasoline categories.
Excludes reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB)
as well as other blendstock.
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| Crude Oil |
A mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in liquid phase in natural underground
reservoirs and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through
surface separating facilities. Depending upon the characteristics of the crude
stream, it may also include:
Small amounts of hydrocarbons that exist in gaseous phase in natural
underground reservoirs but are liquid at atmospheric pressure after being
recovered from oil well (casinghead) gas in lease separators and are subsequently
commingled with the crude stream without being separately measured. Lease
condensate recovered as a liquid from natural gas wells in lease or field
separation facilities and later mixed into the crude stream is also included;
Small amounts of nonhydrocarbons produced with the oil, such as sulfur and
various metals;
Drip gases, and liquid hydrocarbons produced from tar sands, oil sands,
gilsonite, and oil shale.
Liquids produced at natural gas processing plants are excluded. Crude oil is refined to produce
a wide array of petroleum products, including heating oils; gasoline, diesel and jet fuels;
lubricants; asphalt; ethane, propane, and butane; and many other products used for their
energy or chemical content.
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| Gasoline Treated as Blendstock (GTAB) |
Non-certified Foreign Refinery gasoline classified by an importer as blendstock to be either blended or reclassified with respect to
reformulated or conventional gasoline. GTAB was classified on EIA surveys as either reformulated or conventional based on emissions performance and the intended end use in data through the end of December 2009. Designation of GTAB as reformulated or conventional was discontinued beginning with data for January 2010. GTAB was reported as a single product beginning with data for January 2010. GTAB data for January 2010 and later months is presented as conventional motor gasoline blending components when reported as a subset of motor gasoline blending components. |
| Hydrocarbon |
An organic chemical compound of hydrogen and carbon in the gaseous, liquid, or solid phase.
The molecular structure of hydrocarbon compounds varies from the simplest (methane, a
constituent of natural gas) to the very heavy and very complex.
|
| Hydrogen |
The lightest of all gases, occurring chiefly in combination with oxygen in water; exists also
in acids, bases, alcohols, petroleum, and other hydrocarbons.
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| Imports |
Receipts of crude oil and petroleum products into the 50 States and the District of Columbia
from foreign countries, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other U.S. possessions and territories.
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| Light Gas Oils |
Liquid petroleum distillates heavier than naphtha, with an approximate boiling range
from 401º F to 650º F
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| Motor Gasoline Blending Components |
Naphthas (e.g., straight-run gasoline, alkylate, reformate, benzene, toluene, xylene) used for
blending or compounding into finished motor gasoline. These components include reformulated
gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB) but exclude oxygenates (alcohols, ethers),
butane, and pentanes plus. Note: Oxygenates are reported as individual components and are
included in the total for other hydrocarbons, hydrogens, and oxygenates.
|
| Naphtha |
A generic term applied to a petroleum fraction with an approximate boiling range between
122º and 400º F.
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| Other Hydrocarbons |
Materials received by a refinery and consumed as a raw material. Includes hydrogen, coal tar
derivatives, gilsonite, and natural gas received by the refinery for reforming into hydrogen.
Natural gas to be used as fuel is excluded.
|
| Oxygenates |
Substances which, when added to gasoline, increase the amount of oxygen in that gasoline blend.
Ethanol, Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE), and methanol
are common oxygenates.
Fuel Ethanol: Blends of up to 10 percent by volume anhydrous ethanol (200 proof) (commonly referred to as the
"gasohol waiver").
Methanol: Blends of methanol and gasoline-grade tertiary butyl alcohol (GTBA) such that the total oxygen content
does not exceed 3.5 percent by weight and the ratio of methanol to GTBA is less than or equal to 1. It is also
specified that this blended fuel must meet ASTM volatility specifications (commonly referred to as the "ARCO"
waiver).
Blends of up to 5.0 percent by volume methanol with a minimum of 2.5 percent by volume cosolvent alcohols having a carbon number of 4 or less (i.e., ethanol, propanol, butanol, and/or GTBA). The total oxygen must not exceed 3.7 percent by weight, and the blend must meet ASTM volatility specifications as well as phase separation and alcohol purity specifications (commonly referred to as the "DuPont" waiver).
MTBE (Methyl tertiary butyl ether): Blends up to 15.0 percent by volume MTBE which must meet the ASTM D4814
specifications. Blenders must take precautions that the blends are not used as base gasolines for other
oxygenated blends (commonly referred to as the "Sun" waiver).
|
| Petroleum Administration for Defense (PAD) Districts |
Geographic aggregations of the 50 States and the District of Columbia into five districts
by the Petroleum Administration for Defense in 1950. These districts were originally defined
during World War II for purposes of administering oil allocation.
Description and maps of PAD Districts and Refining Districts.
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| Petroleum Products |
Petroleum products are obtained from the processing of crude oil (including lease condensate),
natural gas, and other hydrocarbon compounds. Petroleum products include unfinished oils,
liquefied petroleum gases, pentanes plus, aviation gasoline, motor gasoline, naphtha-type jet
fuel, kerosene-type jet fuel, kerosene, distillate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, petrochemical
feedstocks, special naphthas, lubricants, waxes, petroleum coke, asphalt, road oil, still gas,
and miscellaneous products.
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| RBOB |
"Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending" is motor gasoline blending components
intended for blending with oxygenates to produce finished reformulated gasoline.
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| RBOB for Blending with Alcohol |
Motor gasoline blending components intended to be blended with an alcohol component
(e.g. fuel ethanol) at a terminal or refinery to raise the oxygen content.
|
| RBOB for Blending with Ether |
Motor gasoline blending components intended to be blended with an ether component
(e.g. methyl tertiary butyl ether) at a terminal or refinery to raise the oxygen content.
|
| Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) |
Finished motor gasoline formulated for use in motor vehicles, the composition and properties
of which meet the requirements of the reformulated gasoline regulations promulgated by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 211(k) of the Clean Air Act.
This category includes oxygenated fuels program reformulated gasoline (OPRG) but excludes
reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB).
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| Residuum |
Residue from crude oil after distilling off all but the heaviest components, with a boiling
range greater than 1000º F.
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| Unfinished Oils |
All oils requiring further processing, except those requiring only mechanical blending.
Unfinished oils are produced by partial refining of crude oil and include naphthas and
lighter oils, kerosene and light gas oils, heavy gas oils, and residuum.
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Definitions