crude oil

[tdelis]

Hi all,

i am looking to conver 1 barrel of crude oil to kg.

i am not sure, but should i do it as follows?

1 barrel=0.158987m3
crude oil density: 870.8kg/m3 (not sure if this is correct)

1 barrel=0.158789m3x870.8m3/kg=138.44kg ?

in addition, do you know the density of CO2?

thanks

delis

[JohnS]

Hi all,

i am looking to conver 1 barrel of crude oil to kg.

i am not sure, but should i do it as follows?

1 barrel=0.158987m3
crude oil density: 870.8kg/m3 (not sure if this is correct)

1 barrel=0.158789m3x870.8m3/kg=138.44kg ?

You did it right. The math is correct but in second line you accidentlly reversed the units on the density. Also crude oil has a range of densities. There is certainly crude in the range of density you used, but you need to know the density of a particular lot. To add minor complexity it is often stated in API degrees, which have to be converted to "real" density.


in addition, do you know the density of CO2?

thanks

delis

For a gas, you have to state the density at a specified temperature and pressure. If ideal gas law is close enough, at "normal" conditions of 101.325 kPa and 0 °C (273.15 K), then 22.414 L weighs 44 g, so 1.96 kg/m³

[tdelis]

thanks for your reply!

the problem i have is to calculate the CO2 emissions per
crude oil barrel. and then compare them to the price
of CO2 which is about 20euros per tonne.

so somewhere there must be a conversion of volume to weight etc etc

any help is welcome :)

[JohnS]

thanks for your reply!

the problem i have is to calculate the CO2 emissions per
crude oil barrel. and then compare them to the price
of CO2 which is about 20euros per tonne.

so somewhere there must be a conversion of volume to weight etc etc

any help is welcome :)

Well, you are on the right track. To complete the calculation:

1) Detailed chemical analysis is better, but most fuels from gasoline, diesel, and heavier oils including crude run about 85% carbon by weight so your 138.44 kg/barrel is 117.7 kg of carbon.

2) Carbon has a molar mass of 12 g/mole, CO2 is 44 g/mol (the extra weight being the oxygen consumed). So 117.7 kg of carbon will produce
117.7 x 44/12 = 431.5 kg of CO2 (0.4315 t)

I'm not sure if your CO2 cost figure is a price to buy it for industrial use, or a carbon offset price, basically buying a "right to emit." In any case, it is much less than the cost of the barrel of oil, because the energy is the desired product and the CO2 is basically "waste."

[meshram]

hi, I am looking for crude oil density: 870.8kg/m3 (not sure if this is correct)

[JohnS]

hi, I am looking for crude oil density: 870.8kg/m3 (not sure if this is correct)

It varies all over the place according to source. Your figure is rougly the beginning of "heavy crude" (874 kg/m³). "Light crude" is under 850 kg/m³, with desirable light sweet crude benchmarks like Brent and WTI around 830 kg/m³

The following links may help you, but from different sources, extremes can range 707 - 1000 kg/m³. Note that most data is in API gravity:
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/api-gravity-d_1212.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crude_oil_products
http://www.energyintel.com/DocumentDetail.asp?document_id=200017

(the last two sources are NOT in perfect agreement on the same oil, but close.)