Engineering Glossary of Terms

GLOSSARY OF TERMS
LEARNING MODULE 027-31-95-02
Absorption: The process by which one substance draws into

itself another substance. For example, sponge - absorbing
moisture; oil - absorbing natural gasoline from wet gas.
Absorption oil: The absorbing medium used in the absorption

process; usually a hydrocarbon product with a boiling range of
175°C to 290°C.
Absorption tower: A tower or column which effects contact

between a rising gas and a falling liquid so that part of the gas may
be taken up by the liquid.
Accumulator: A vessel for the temporary storage of a gas or

liquid; usually used for collecting sufficient material for a
continuous charge to some refining process.
Acid: A member of an important and fundamental category of

chemical substances characterized by having an available reactive
hydrogen and requiring an alkali to neutralize it. It usually has a
sour, biting, and tart taste, like vinegar, which is in fact a dilute
solution of acetic acid.
Acid gas: Hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, both of which

are acidic when dissolved in water.
Acid sludge: See sludge.
© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 1

Acid treatment: (Oil well) In limestone formations, freedom of
movement of fluid towards the well depends upon fissuring and/or
permeability. Hydrochloric acid is employed to enlarge these
production channels due to the ease with which it will attack the
limestone.
Additives: Substances which, when added to petroleum fractions,

modify or enhance their natural properties.
Adsorption: The adhesion, in an extremely thin layer, of the

molecules of gases of dissolved substances or liquids to the
surfaces of solid bodies with which they are in contact.
Air: Often used synonymously with atmosphere, the latter

being preferred as more precise. Air contains by volume the
following (approx): 78 - 79% nitrogen; 20.95% oxygen; 0.94%
argon; traces of carbon dioxide, helium etc.
Aliphatic hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbons in which the carbon-

hydrogen groupings are arranged in open chains which may be
branched. The term includes paraffins and olefins, and provides a
distinction from aromatics and naphthenes which have at least
some of their carbon atoms arranged in closed chains or rings.
Alkali: In chemistry, any substance having marked basic

properties. In its restricted and common sense, the term is applied
only to hydroxides of potassium, sodium, lithium, and ammonium.
They are soluble in water, have the power of neutralizing acids and
forming salts with them, and of turning red litmus blue. In a more
general sense, the term is also applied to the hydroxides of the so-
called alkaline earth metals – barium, strontium, and calcium. An
example is household lye, which is sodium hydroxide.

Alkylation: A catalytic process by which hydrocarbons of
branched chain or ring structures are combined with unsaturated
hydrocarbons. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, iso-
butane combines with butane to form iso-octane.
Ambient air: The air surrounding equipment or in a certain area.
Analysis: The process of determining the composition of a

substance by chemical or physical methods.
Anhydrous: Free of water, especially water of crystallization.
Anticline (geological): An earth-fold in which the strata are

uplifted in the form of an arch .
Antifoam agent: A specific agent used for combating and

destroying a particular type of foam. Addition of antifoam to soap
suds will cause the soap bubbles to collapse.
Antiknock value: Premature explosive combustion or detonation

of the fuel-air mixture in an internal combustion engine, produces a
characteristic knock. The antiknock value of a fuel is a measure of
its resistance to the conditions which tend to produce this knock.
See also Octane number.
Antioxidant: A substance which, when added in small amounts to

petroleum products, will delay or inhibit undesirable changes such
as the formation of gum, sludge, and acidity which are brought
about by oxidation.
A.P.I. : American Petroleum Institute.

A.P.I.gravity: An arbitrary scale expressing the gravity or density
of liquid petroleum products. The measuring scale is calibrated in
terms of API degrees. It may be calculated in terms of the following
formula:
deg API = 141.5 - 131.5

sp gr 60/60°F
Water has an API gravity of 10°.
Aqueous: Watery; of, pertaining to, or containing water.
Aromatics: A group of hydrocarbons, of which benzene is the

parent. They are called “aromatics” because many of their
derivatives have sweet or aromatic odours. These hydrocarbons
are of relatively high specific gravity and possess good solvent
properties. Certain aromatics have valuable antiknock
characteristics. Typical aromatics are: benzene, toluene, xylene.
Asphalt: Natural or mechanical mixtures in which bitumen is

associated with inert mineral matter. The term is normally qualified
by indication of type or origin, e. g. lake asphalt, natural asphalt,
etc. In the United States this term is generally used to describe the
material known in the United Kingdom as asphaltic bitumen or
bitumen.
Asphaltic bitumen: See Bitumen.
Asphaltic cement:Asphalt or bitumen, or blends of these with one

another or with flux oils, such that the product is a binder having
cementing qualities suitable for the manufacture of asphalt
pavements, mastics, etc.

Atmosphere: Is the mixture of gases and water vapour
surrounding the earth.
Atmospheric pressure: The pressure of air at sea level, exerted

equally in all directions. The standard pressure is that under which
the mercury barometer stands at 760 mm. It is equivalent to about
101.3 kPa to a std. of 99.3 kPa. Atmospheric pressure in the
Calgary area will be about 88.26 kPa.
Atom: The smallest complete particle of an element which can be

obtained, yet which retains all physical and chemical properties of
the element.
Atomic weight: The weight of an elementary atom in relation to

the weight of an atom of hydrogen, a hydrogen atom being taken
as 1.008. The proportional weights based on hydrogen, of all the
known elemental atoms have been accurately determined by direct
experiment. This arbitrary system permits the calculation of the
proportionate quantities of the elements composing one molecule
of any compound. The weight of the molecule is the sum of the
weights of the atoms forming that molecule or chemical compound.
(The chemist’s atomic-weight scale is based on oxygen having a
value of 16).
Attitude: A general term to describe the relation of some

directional feature in a rock to a horizontal plane. The attitude of
planar features (i.e. bedding, joints, etc.) is described by giving the
strike and dip.
Back-pressure regulator: An automatic valve designed to

maintain a constant back pressure in the discharge line of a vessel.

Baffle: A partial restriction, generally a plate located to change the
direction, guide the flow, or promote mixing within the equipment in
which it is installed.
Barometric pressure: The pressure of the atmosphere as

registered by the barometer. About 88.26 kPa (normal) at Calgary.
Barrel: As the standard unit of measurement of liquids in the

petroleum industry, it contains 42 US standard gallons, and 35
3
imperial gallons or 0.1586 m .
Base: A compound which reacts with an acid to form a salt. (See

alkali).
Benzene: A pure aromatic hydrocarbon of characteristic odour

occurring in significant proportions in certain Far Eastern crude
oils, but usually obtained in the UK as a by-product of the coal-gas
industry.
Benzine: Straight run petroleum spirit boiling within the range

80-l30°C.
Benzole: A mixture, predominantly composed of aromatic

hydrocarbons obtained as a by-product of the carbonization of coal,
either from coal gas by absorption or from coal tar by distillation.
This mixture, after washing and rectification to concentrate the
benzene and eliminate undesirable constituents to any desired
extent, is classified in Great Britain according to purity as “Motor
Benzole”, “Industrial Benzole”, ”90’s Benzole”, “Pure Benzole” and
“Pure Benzole for Nitration”. Recognized specifications for these
British grades are issued by the National Benzole Association.

Bitumen or asphaltic bitumen: Black to dark brown solid or
semi-solid organic material which gradually liquefies when heated.
These materials are usually obtained as residues from the vacuum
distillation of petroleum. See also Blown bitumen.
Bituminous mastic (bitumastic): Mixtures of bitumen with inert

fillers of fine mesh.
Black oils: A general term applied to the heavier and darker

colored petroleum products such as heavy diesel fuel, fuel oil, and
some cylinder stocks. It is used mainly in connection with shipping
and storage; a black oil tanker is one used for carrying “black oils”
and which would require cleaning before being used for “white
oils”.
Bleeding: Diverting from a line or vessel a small portion of the

contained material, usually accomplished by slightly “cracking” a
valve on the line or vessel.
Blending: Intimate mixing of the various components in the

preparation of a product to meet a given specification.
Bloom: The bloom of an oil is its color by reflected light when this
differs from its color by transmitted light. Many petroleum oils
which appear red or yellow by transmitted light exhibit a blue or
green bloom.
Blowcase: A vessel used on a batch basis for removal of

impurities.
Blown bitumen: A semi-solid or solid oxidized product obtained

primarily by bubbling air through hot liquid bitumen, with a resultant
increase in the melting point and a modification of other physical
properties.

Blown oil: Fatty oil, of which the viscosity has been increased by
blowing with air at an elevated temperature.
Blow-out preventer: A special hydraulically operated gland-like

device, employing synthetic rubber, designed for use when drilling,
to maintain pressure control of the drilling fluid.
Boiler horsepower: One boiler horsepower equals the

evaporation per hour of 15.65 kg of water at a temperature of
100°C into steam at l00°C.
Boiling: The process by which a liquid is rapidly changed to

vapour by the application of heat.
Boiling point: The temperature at which a substance begins to

boil or to be converted into vapour by bubbles forming within its
mass. It varies with the atmospheric pressure.
Boiling range: The range of temperature, usually determined at

atmospheric pressure in standard laboratory apparatus, over which
the boiling or distillation of an oil commences, proceeds and
finishes.
Bomb: Steel cylinder used as testing device for conducting oil

tests under high pressure. Used for tests, such as gum in gasoline,
sulphur, and vapour pressure (Reid vapour pressure).
Bottoms: The liquid which collects in the bottom of a vessel,

either during a fractionating process or while in storage (tower
bottoms, tank bottoms).

Bottom-hole differential pressure: The difference between the
reservoir pressure and the pressure at the bottom of a producing
well is known as the bhdp. The magnitude of this pressure
difference determines the rate of flow of fluid towards the well-
bore.
Bottom settlings: Sludge collected at the bottom of tanks or

other oil containers which comprises an emulsified mixture of oil
and water and sometimes wax, asphalt, and mud.
Breathing: The movement of gas (oil vapours or air) in and out of

the vent lines of storage tanks due to alternate heating and cooling.
Bright stock: A lubricating oil of high viscosity prepared from a

cylinder stock by further refining, e. g. solvent deasphalting,
dewaxing, acid treatment, and/or earth treatment.
Brine: Water which is nearly saturated with salts.
Bringing in (oil well): On completion of drilling and after

withdrawal of the drill pipe, the back-pressure on the producing
formation is reduced by bailing down the mud or by displacing it
with a fluid of lower specific gravity, until the oil can overcome the
static head and flow into the well. This is termed bringing the well
in.
Bs & w: “Bottom settlings and water” comprises the solids and

aqueous solutions which may be present in an oil and which are
separable therefrom by means of gravity or the centrifuge.
Btu: British termal unit. The heat required to raise the

temperature of 1 lb of water through 1°F.

Bubble cap: An inverted cup with a notched or slotted periphery
to disperse the vapour in small bubbles beneath the surface of the
liquid on the bubble plate in a distillation column.
Bubble point: The temperature at which the first incipient

vaporization of a liquid occurs from a liquid mixture. It corresponds
with the equilibrium point of zero per cent vaporization or 100 per
cent condensation. The pressure should be specified if not one
atmosphere.
Bubble tower or column: A fractionating tower so constructed

that the vapours rising pass up through layers of condensate on a
series of plates. The vapour passes from one plate to the next
above by bubbling under one or more caps and out through the
liquid on the plate. The less volatile portions of vapour condense in
bubbling through the liquid on the plate, and overflow to the next
lower plate, and ultimately back into the reboiler. Fractionation is
thereby effected.
Bund: An earthwork or wall surrounding a tank or tanks to retain

the contents in the event of a fracture of the tank.
Bunker fuel: Any fuel oil or diesel fuel taken into the bunkers of
ships.
Burette: A carefully graduated glass tube used for measuring

solutions in the chemical laboratory.
Butane: Commercial butane is a mixture of gaseous paraffins,

mainly normal-butane and iso-butane (both C4H10). When blended
into gasoline in small quantities, it improves volatility and octane
number. Butane can be stored under pressure as a liquid at
atmospheric temperatures and as “bottled gas” it is widely used for
cooking and domestic heating.

Cable drilling: In this system, the rock is penetrated by
percussion of a bit on the bottom, the bit being suspended on a
wire-line and the necessary motion imparted by a beam pivoted at
the centre and usually termed a “walking-beam”.
Calibration:
1. The graduation of a measuring instrument.
2. The determination of error in a measuring instrument.
Calorie: The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of

1 gram of water through l°C. The kilogram calorie (i.e., 1,000
calories or 3.97 Btu) is also employed, particularly in engineering.
Calorific value: The amount of heat obtainable by the complete

combustion of a unit weight of fuel. It is normally expressed as
calories per gram or Btu per pound, the latter being numerically 1.8
times the former. The higher or gross calorific value represents the
total amount of heat of combustion. This total includes the latent
heat of condensation of the water vapour produced by the
combustion. Owing to the fact that the water vapour is not usually
condensed under practical conditions of combustion, the “lower” or
net calorific value, which excludes the latent heat of condensation
of the water vapour, is a better guide to the amount of useful heat
obtainable from the fuel.
Capillarity: The rising or falling of the surface of a liquid in

contact with a solid such as the rocks of producing sands. The fluid
actually rises above the normal level due to surface tension.

Cap-rock (geological): An impervious layer, e. g. clay, which
overlies a reservoir rock and prevents wholesale leakage of
petroleum to the surface.
Carbon black: A substantially pure form of finely divided carbon

usually produced from liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons by
controlled combustion with restricted air supply. It is used as a filler
in the rubber industry being specially valuable by virtue of the
improved wearing quality which it imparts to tire rubbers. Smaller
quantities are used as pigment in printing inks and paints.
Carbon dioxide: A heavy, colorless gas, (CO2) which will not

support combustion. Dissolved in water, it forms carbonic acid. It is
exhaled by lung-possessing animals as a waste gas, but is inhaled
by certain plants which absorb its carbon and release its oxygen as
a waste gas.
Carbon monoxide: A colorless, odorless gas (CO), a product

resulting from the incomplete combustion of carbon.
Casing: The steel lining of a well, the main purposes of which are
to prevent caving of the sides of the well, to exclude water or gas
from the well and to provide means for the control of well
pressures and oil production.
Casinghead gas: See Natural gas.
Casing-shoe: A steel sleeve protecting the lower end of the

casing string when being inserted into the well. Often provided with
a drillable back-pressure valve, when it is called a cement float-
shoe.

Catalyst: A substance which accelerates or changes the course
of a reaction without itself undergoing any chemical change.
Cat-head (drilling): A small spool rotated by the draw-works on

which a manila line is wound and used for making-up or backing-
off the tool joints on the derrick floor. The operation is similar to
that of a capstan.
Cellar (oil well): An excavation, 3.0 to 7.5 metres deep, lined

with concrete, designed to accommodate the well-head fittings
(Christmas-tree).
Cetane number: An expression of the ignition quality of a diesel

fuel. It is the percentage by volume of cetane in a mixture with
alpha-methyl-naphthalene which has the same ignition quality as
the fuel under test.
Charge stock: The mixture flowing to a still or fractionator. To

charge a vessel is to flow the charge stock into it.
Chiller: A reboiler type of heat exchanger specially designed so

that a boiling liquid on the shell side cools the fluid passing through
the tubes.
Christmas tree: The collection of valves and fittings at the head

of an oilwell used to control the flow of oil from the well.
Chromatograph: A laboratory instrument which separates

components in gas and liquid samples.
Closure: The vertical distance between the top of an anticlinal

structure and the lowest level at which a continuous encircling
contour can be drawn.

Combustion: The act or process of burning. Chemically, it is a
process of rapid oxidation caused by the union of the oxygen of the
air, which is the supporter of combustion, with any material which
is capable of oxidation.
Compound: A substance formed by the combination of two or

more ingredients in definite proportions by weight, and possessing
physical and chemical properties entirely different from those of the
ingredients.
Compounding: A blending operation usually involving the addition

of fatty oils to mineral lubricating oils.
Compression ratio: The ratio of the volume enclosed in an

engine cylinder at the beginning of the compression stroke to the
volume at the end of the compression stroke. Also the ratio of the
discharge to suction pressures of a compressor.
Condensate (hydrocarbon condensate): Refers to liquefiable

hydrocarbons that have condensed from natural gas. The term also
may apply to inorganic liquids such as steam condensate.
Condensation: In physics and engineering, the act or process of

changing a vapour to a liquid, or a lighter to another and denser
form, by depression of temperature or increase of pressure.
Condenser: As ordinarily used, the term means the water-cooled

heat exchangers used for cooling and liquefying oil vapours.
Conduction: Transfer of heat or electricity through a solid or fluid

by direct contact of particles.

Convection: The flow of heat through liquids or gases by actual
mixing of the liquids or gases. (physical turbulence)
Convection section: That portion of the furnace in which tubes

receive heat by convection from the flue gases.
Coolers: Any type of heat exchanger whose primary purpose is to

reduce the temperature of one of the passing materials by heat
transfer to the other.
Core: In rotary drilling, special bits are employed when required to

cut cylindrical samples of the formations penetrated. These
samples, known as cores, are examined to obtain geological
information.
Corrosion: Destructive alteration of metal from chemical

reactions.
Covalence: Term used to indicate the bonding that results from

the mutual sharing of pairs of electrons. The resulting compounds
or molecules are called covalent. An example is CCl4. Each Cl
atom ends up with 8 electrons (7 of its own plus 1 from the C
atom); each C atom ends up with 8 electrons (4 of its own plus 4
from the Cl atom).
Cracking: A process in which the feedstock is subjected to a high

temperature for a limited time with the object of increasing the yield
of light products, e.g. gasoline, at the expense of the heavier.
Cracking processes are also the source of the olefins which are
the intermediates in the manufacture of many petroleum
chemicals. Sometimes a substance which promotes reaction, i. e.
a catalyst, is present. This has the effect of reducing the
temperature at which cracking takes place and gives greater
control over the reaction.

Cracking catalytic: A cracking process in which a catalyst is
used to promote reaction.
Cracking thermal: A cracking process in which no catalyst is

used to promote reaction, cracking being effected purely by the
application of heat.
Cratered well: Is a well which has caved in. This condition occurs
when the gas pressure in a bore hole is such that it blows out
around the surface pipe when the well is closed in.
Critical pressure: The pressure necessary to condense a gas at

the critical temperature above which the gas cannot be liquefied,
no matter what pressure is applied.
Critical temperature: The temperature at which a gas can be

liquefied by a maximum pressure, the critical pressure; above this
temperature the gas cannot be liquefied, no matter what pressure
is applied.
Crown-block: An assembly of wire-line sheaves corresponding to

the sheaves of the travelling block carrying the steel line on which
the travelling block is suspended. It is mounted on the top of the
derrick.
Crude oil: See Petroleum. (Note - In rare cases only can such
untreated material be used as a fuel).
Cut: The product drawn from a still or fractionator at any specified

temperature. To “take a cut” is to draw a product from a still or
fractionator at a specified temperature.

Cutback: Bitumen which has been rendered liquid by the addition
of a suitable diluent such as white spirit, kerosine, or creosote. It is
used as a means of incorporating bitumen with road-metal.
Cycling: The injection of dry gas into a gas-condensate reservoir

at such points that it will push or sweep the gas condensate
towards the producing well.
Cylinder stock: Dark-colored residual lubricating oil of high

viscosity used as the basis of steam cylinder oil.
De-asphalting: The removal of asphaltic constituents from

residual stock for lubricating oil manufacture. It is a solvent refining
process in which the asphalt is precipitated, usually by liquid
propane.
Decline: Is the decrease in yield of a gas or oil well.
Decomposition: The breaking up of compounds into smaller

chemical forms, through the application of heat or through change
in other physical conditions, or through the introduction of other
chemical bodies.
Dehydrate: To render free from water.
Deltaic: Pertaining to or like a delta. A delta is an alluvial deposit,

usually trianglular at the mouth of a river.
Derrick: A steel pylon-like structure usually of sufficient height to

permit the withdrawal of at least three connected 9 m lengths of
drill pipe and capable of supporting the maximum load likely to be
experienced during the drilling of the well.

Detergent oil: A lubricating oil possessing special sludge-
dispersing properties and used in some internal-combustion
engines. These properties are usually conferred on the oil by the
incorporation of special additives. A detergent oil has the ability to
hold sludge particles in suspension as well as to promote engine
cleanliness.
Development well: (Inside well or pool well) is a well used to help

develop a field.
De-waxing: The removal of waxes from lubricating oil stocks, now

usually carried out by filtration at a low temperature of a mixture of
the oil and a solvent such as MEK (methyl ethyl ketone).
Dewpoint: The temperature at which vapour starts to condense.
Diesel fuel: A general term covering oils used as fuel in diesel

and other compression ignition engines. This term usually applies
to fuels suitable for those engines of the industrial and marine type
which have a low or medium rotational speed, and which are not so
critical of fuel quality as are high-speed engines. Fuels for the latter
need special descriptions, e.g. High-Speed Diesel Fuel, or
Automotive Gas Oil.
Diesel index: This is a figure calculated from the aniline point and
specific gravity which is used as a rough indication of the ignition
quality of a diesel fuel.
Dip: The angle at which a stratum or any planar feature is inclined

from the horizontal.

Disposal well: Is a well into which salt water from producing
wells is discharged.
Distillate: A product obtained by condensing the vapours evolved

when a liquid is boiled and collecting the condensate in a receiver
which is separate from the boiling vessel.
Distillation: Vaporizing a liquid and subsequently condensing it in

a different chamber. The separation of one group of petroleum
constituents from another by means of volatilization in some form
of closed apparatus, such as a still, by the aid of heat.
Distillation range: A single pure substance has one definite

boiling point at a given pressure. A mixture of substances will,
however, exhibit a range of temperatures over which boiling or
distillation commences, proceeds and finishes. This range of
temperature, usually determined at atmospheric pressure by
means of standard apparatus, is termed the distillation or boiling
range.
Doctor test: A test for the presence in light distillates of a

particular type of sulphur compound known as mercaptans. The
sample is shaken with a solution of sodium plumbite. If perceptible
quantities of mercaptans are present the solution becomes brown
and the sample is known as “doctor positive”. The coloration
developed usually indicates inadequate sweetening.
Down stream: The portion of a flow that has passed a given point
(the point being usually a valve or orifice of some type).
Draw-works (drilling): An elaborated winch-type machine with

cable-drums. Used for raising and lowering the travelling block.

Drill collar (rotary): Hollow, heavy steel bars placed directly
above the drilling bit to keep the drill pipe in tension.
Drilling derrick: A steel structure, usually about 41.5 metres in

height, which is used to support the drill pipe and other equipment
which has to be raised or lowered during well drilling operations.
Drilling in (oil well): A term applied to the operation of drilling

into or in the actual producing formation.
Drill pipe: The steel pipe used for carrying and rotating the drilling
tools and for permitting the circulation of the lubricating mud.
Drill pipe (rotary): Hollow pipe, normally made in 9 metre

lengths, used in drilling.
Drill string (rotary): The assembled lengths of drill pipe, collar,

and bit as coupled together ready for service.
Drum flash: A drum or tower into which the heated outlet

products of a preheater or exchanger system are conducted, often
with some release in pressure. The purpose of the drum is to allow
vaporization and separation of the volatile portions for fractionation
elsewhere.
Dry gas: A gas which does not contain water or heavier fractions
which may easily condense under normal atmospheric
temperatures.
Duster (dry hole, dry well, failure or blank): A well that fails to
produce gas or oil in commercial quantities.

Edge-water: The body of water underlying the oil and/or gas
accumulation in anticlinal or similar structures.
Emulsifiable bitumen: Bitumen to which compounds have been

added in order to render it easily emulsifiable with water.
Emulsified bitumen: Bitumen which has been rendered liquid by

emulsification with water.
Emulsion: A liquid mixture in which oil in minute globules is

suspended in water.
End point: The point indicating the end of some operation or at

which a certain definite change is observed. In titration, this change
is frequently a change in color of an indicator which has been
added to the solution, or to the disappearance or excess of one of
the reactants which is colored. In the analysis of liquids such as
gasoline, the end point is the temperature at which liquid ceases to
distill over.
Enthalpy: The heat content per unit mass expressed in kilojoules

per kilogram.
Entrainment or carryover: Relatively non-volatile contaminating

material which is carried over by the “overhead” effluent from a
separator, fractionating column, absorber, or a reaction vessel.
This may be as liquid droplets or finely divided solids suspended in
a gas, a vapour, or in a discrete liquid.
Ethane: A hydrocarbon of the paraffin series (C2H6). It boils at -

89°C at atmospheric pressure.

Ethanolamine: A series of weak bases or alkalis (mono-, di-,
tri-,) which have an affinity for acid gas at low temperatures but
little above 93°C .
Ethyl Fluid: The proprietary name for a brand of anti-knock

compound containing tetraethyl lead as the active constituent.
Evaporation: The conversion of a liquid into a vapour, usually by

means of heat.
Exchanger: Closed-coil heat exchangers (header-and-tube) are

used throughout a refinery where there is a possibility of
economically conserving heat. Stills are equipped with exchangers
through which the hot vapours from the still are run countercurrent
to the feed stock going to the battery, thus partly condensing the
vapours and getting the fractionation obtained by partial
condensation, and at the same time heating up the feed stock and
thereby conserving fuel. It is customary in such installations to run
crude or liquid feed stock through the tubes, while the hot vapours
surround the tubes.
Exothermic: Relating to or designating a reaction which occurs

with the evolution of heat, so that the temperature of the reacting
bodies is raised.
Explosive limits: The limits of percentage composition of

mixtures of gases and air within which an explosion takes place
when the mixture is ignited. The lower limit of flammability
corresponds to the minimum amount of combustible gas which
must be present to support combustion and the upper limit to the
maximum amount of combustible gas which can be present and
still permit combustion of the mixture.

Extension well (or extension producer): Is a well which
extends the limits of a field.
Extract: During solvent refining processes, other than dewaxing

or deasphalting, part of the feedstock passes into solution and is
subsequently recovered by evaporating off the solvent. Extract; it is
generally aromatic in character. (See Raffinate).
Extreme-pressure lubricant: A term which is applied to a

lubricating oil or grease which contains a substance or substances
specifically introduced to increase film strength, i.e. to increase the
ability of an oil or grease to maintain the surfaces of highly loaded
gears in a satisfactory condition.
Fault: A geological term relating to a fracture in rock strata

whereby the rocks on one side of the fracture have been forced out
of alignment with the appropriate strata on the opposite side of the
break.
Fin-Fan: Trade name for aerial coolers and condensers.
‘Fin-Tube’ or ‘G-Fin’: Trade names for double pipe type

exchanger. The inner tube generally has fins on the outside.
Firebox: The chamber in a furnace in which combustion takes

place.
Flank well: Is the term sometimes used to designate a well drilled

on one edge of a known reservoir.
Flare gas: Gas diverted to flare tips, stacks, or pits to be burned.

Flash: When vapours rise suddenly from a liquid they are said to
“flash”. Lowering the pressure on a liquid, with heat or without
heat having been applied, may induce flashing.
Flash production: Is the first yield from a well.
Flue: A channel or passageway for smoke, waste gases, etc. as a

subsidiary tube or smoke duct in a chimney, or a tube carrying
gases of combustion in a boiler or hot-air passage in a wall. It is
distinguished from pipe and tube.
Fluid: A body made up of particles which easily change their

relative position without separation of the mass, and which yield
easily to pressure. The term applies to any body capable of flowing
whether liquid or gaseous.
Flux oil: An oil of low volatility suitable for blending with bitumen,
or with asphalt, to yield a product of softer consistency or greater
fluidity. Selected residual fuel oils may be used for this purpose.
Fraction: Any derivative separated by distillation from petroleum.
Fractional distillation: See Fractionation.
Fractionating column: A tall, cylindrical steel tower (sometimes

called a “bubble tower”) divided into sections by trays having
specially designed perforations surmounted by “bubble caps”. In
this installation, crude oil - preheated so that it enters the base of
the tower as part liquid and part vapour - is separated by distillation
into its main fractions.

Fractionation: A distillation process in which the distillate is
collected as a number of separate fractions each having a different
boiling range.
Fuel oil: A general term applied to an oil used for the production
of power or heat. In a more restricted sense it is applied to any
petroleum product that is burnt under boilers or in industrial
furnaces. These oils are normally residues, but blends of distillates
and residues are also used as fuel oil. The wider term “liquid fuel”
is sometimes used, but the term “fuel oil” is preferred.
Gas condensate field: A petroleum field in which the

hydrocarbons in the formation exist in a vapour state under high
pressure. A lowering of the pressure causes a condensation of
almost all the hydrocarbons except methane, ethane, propane and
butane which remain in a vapour state.
Gas detector: An instrument for determining the explosibility of a

gas-air mixture. It is used as a safety device in gas plant
operations, and is also known as an explosimeter.
Gas oil: A petroleum distillate intermediate in viscosity and

distillation range, between kerosene and light lubricating oil. Mainly
used in manufacture of gas to enrich water gas, as a wash oil in
benzole extraction from coal gas, and as a burner oil in some
installations.
Gas-oil level (oilfield): The level, referred to a convenient

datum, of the interface between a gas accumulation and the oil
accumulation below it.
Gas-oil ratio: The ratio of gas to oil as produced from the well.
Usually stated as cubic feet per barrel of oil or as volume of gas to
volume of oil.

Gasoline: A refined petroleum distillate, of normal boiling range
within the limits of 30 - 200°C, suitable as a fuel in a spark-ignited
internal combustion engine. Terms also used in the UK are petrol,
motor spirit, and benzine. In the USA also known as motor gasoline
or “gas”.
Gas saturation pressure (bubble point): The pressure at which

the dissolved gas content of the oil will begin to come out of
solution at any given temperature.
Gear oil: An oil suitable for the lubrication of gears. Gear oils vary
in characteristics according to their specific application.
Geothermal gradient (geological): A measure of rise of rock

temperature with depth below the surface. Usually expressed as °C
per 300 m.
Go-devil: A device for cleaning out the bore of a pipe. It consists

of a piston-type scraper which is usually pumped through the line.
Gravity: A common abbreviation usually meaning specific gravity

in the UK and API gravity in the USA.
Gun-barrel: Gun-barrel is a short name for gun barrel tank. This

tank is a small diametric tank, into which oil and water flow and are
separated before the oil is sent to the oil tank.
Gun-perforating: In sandstone fields wells may be conditioned

for production by cementing casing to prevent caving of hole,
followed by perforation of both casing and cement opposite the
producing horizons to allow oil to enter the well. Perforation is
achieved by the use of a special gun which fires up to about 20
bullets at a time.

Halo: A high-concentration ring surrounding a trap, such as an
anticline, where the rocks have been sharply folded and where the
greatest upward emanation of gases will occur.
Hd oil: The letters hd denote heavy duty, and have reference to

the fact that these lubricating oils were originally developed for use
in certain types of high-speed diesel engines and spark ignition
engines subject to high piston and crankcase temperatures. Hd oils
combine the properties of detergency, resistance to oxidation and
relative freedom from corrosive action on alloy type bearings.
Normally hd oils contain special additives which confer those
properties.
Heat exchanger: An apparatus for transferring heat from one

fluid to another. Specifically, a piece of equipment having a tubular
piping arrangement which effects the transfer of heat from a hot to
a relatively cool material by conduction through the tube walls.
Heat (latent heat): The heat supplied to a substance while its

temperature remains constant at the melting point is known as
“latent heat of fusion”. The numerical value of a substance being
defined as the amount of heat necessary to change unit mass of
solid into liquid without change of temperature. In a similar way the
“latent heat of vaporization” is defined as the amount of heat
necessary to change unit mass of liquid into vapour without change
of temperature.
Heat of combustion: The heat created when a substance is

completely burned in oxygen.
Heavy ends: The highest boiling portion present. Also the

hydrocarbons that have more carbon atoms than others.

Hydraulic fluid: A fluid supplied for use in hydraulic systems.
Low viscosity, low rate of change of viscosity with temperature, and
low pour point are desirable characteristics. Hydraulic fluids may be
of petroleum or non-petroleum origin.
Hydrocarbon: A compound containing only hydrogen and carbon.

The simplest hydrocarbons are gases at ordinary temperatures, but
with increasing molecular weight change to the liquid form and
finally to the solid state. They form the principal constituents of
petroleum.
C3 Hydrocarbons: Any of the hydrocarbons of which the

molecule contains three carbon atoms (propane and propylene).
C4 Hydrocarbons: Any of the hydrocarbons of which the

molecule contains four carbon atoms (butanes, butylenes, and
butadiene).
Hydroforming: A catalytic reforming process using a catalyst

containing molybdenum.
Hydrogen sulphide: A compound of hydrogen and sulphur,

specifically the monosulphide, a colorless, inflammable, poisonous
gas, having a disagreeable odor; called also sulphuretted hydrogen.
Hydrometer: A graduated instrument for determining the gravity

of liquids, usually a hollow glass instrument, weighted at one end
so as to float upright. On immersion in liquid it sinks lower as the
liquid is lighter, because the buoyant force is thus less. Some
hydrometers are marked to read percentages of constitution of
other properties which may be calculated directly from the gravity.
The instruments used in measuring petroleum products usually
read API degrees or specific gravity directly.

Hypoid lubricants: Lubricants specially designed for lubrication
of hypoid gears.
Hypoid lubricants - EP: Types of extreme-pressure lubricants

used for the lubrication of hypoid gears.
Igneous rocks: Are rocks formed by the action of heat intense

enough to produce fusion. Those which solidified before reaching
the surface are called intrusive (plutonic or deep-seated). Those
which reached and flowed out upon the surface are extrusive
(volcanic or effusive). These rocks may also be classified
according to their texture or degree of crystallization.
Ignition quality: A measure of the ease with which a diesel fuel

ignites. See Cetane number or Diesel index.
Inclinometer: In drilling operations, it is important to maintain the

well-bore as near the vertical as possible. Special instruments,
known as inclinometers, have been devised to determine the
magnitude and direction of deviations.
Inhibitor: A substance, the addition of which in small amounts in

a petroleum product, prevents or retards undesirable changes
taking place in the quality of the product, or in the condition of the
equipment in which the product is used. In general, the essential
function of inhibitors is to prevent or retard oxidation. Examples of
uses include the delaying of gum formation in stored gasolines and
of color change in lubricating oils; the prevention of corrosion is
also included, e.g. rust prevention by inhibitors in turbine oils.
Initial boiling point: The temperature at which the first drop of

distillate falls from the condenser during a laboratory distillation
test.

Injection or input well: Is a well through which a fluid is
discharged into the oil sands.
Inspissation: Evaporation of the lighter components of petroleum

which leaves behind the heavier residue.
Insulating oil: A petroleum distillate of low volatility and viscosity

used for cooling and insulating such electrical equipment as circuit
breakers, switches, transformers, etc.
Ionization: A gas is ionized when a relatively small number of its

molecules are converted into ions (electrically charged particles).
Isomer: A compound having the same chemical composition and

molecular weight as another but possessing a different molecular
structure. The term is frequently used to differentiate branch chain
from straight chain hydrocarbons.
Isothermal: A gas passing through a series of pressure and

volume relations.
Jamin effect: A theoretical concept concerning behavior of

occluded gas in an oilsand. When the small gas bubbles are
propelled through the sand toward the well by the prevailing drop in
pressure, they suffer distortion causing a resistance to flow or
jamin action.
Kelly: The square, hollow shaft which, in a rotary drilling rig, is

gripped in the rotating table and imparts the rotatory motion to the
drill pipe and to the drill.

Kerosene: A refined petroleum distillate intermediate in volatility
between gasoline and gas oil, and in distillation range within the
limits of 150-300°C. Mainly used as an illuminant, for heating
purposes, and as a fuel for certain types of internal-combustion
engines. Incorrectly termed “paraffin” or “paraffin oil”.
Kill a well: Stop the flow of oil by filling the hole with a fluid such
as water or mud, in order to force the oil back into the well and
thus bleed off the gas.
Lake asphalt: Natural asphaltic material occurring in surface

deposits.
Lead-acetate test: A method of detecting the presence of

hydrogen sulphide in a sample. Lead acetate paper turns gray or
black when exposed to H2S.
Lead response: The increase in octane number of a motor or

aviation spirit due to the addition of unit quantity of tetraethyl lead.
Certain constituents, notably sulphur compounds, reduce lead
response.
Lean oil: Absorption oil from which all absorbed hydrocarbons

have been
stripped.
Lethal: Deadly.
Light ends: The lower-boiling components of a mixture of

hydrocarbons.
Lignin: Woody fibre or a compound (Cl9Hl8O8) like cellulose.

Lithology, Lithologic: The study of rocks based on the
megascopic examination of samples. Also loosely applied to mean
the composition and texture of rock.
Lower ends: The hydrocarbons that have a relatively lower boiling

point; the opposite of heavier ends.
LPG, (Liquefied Petroleum Gas): Light hydrocarbons, gaseous

at atmospheric temperature and pressure, maintained in the liquid
state by pressure to facilitate storage and handling. Commercial
LPG is essentially butane or propane.
Lubricating grease: A semi-solid lubricant consisting essentially

of a stabilized mixture of mineral oil and soap. The properties of the
grease depend on the type of soap employed (lime, soda or other
base), and the viscosity and other properties of the constituent
mineral oil.
Lubricating oil: Any oil which is employed for lubricating

purposes. It may consist of either petroleum or fatty oils, or of
these two main types in admixture, either with or without additives.
For some applications, e. g. aircraft gas turbines, synthetic oils are
used.
Magmatic: Pertaining to or derived from magma.
Marine engine oil: Oil used to lubricate the motion and bearings
of reciprocating marine steam engines; it may contain up to 15 per
cent of blown vegetable or marine animal oils in order to assist
good emulsification.

Mercaptans: A group of foul smelling organic sulphur compounds
which occur in some crudes. Their presence in petroleum products
gives rise to unpleasant odour, corrosiveness, and poor lead
response; they must, therefore, be removed or converted to less
undesirable substances.
Metamorphic rocks: Rocks that have been subjected to extreme

heat or pressure (or a combination of both) such that their mineral
composition is altered.
Methane: A hydrocarbon of the paraffin series, (CH4). If in liquid

state it would boil at -161.5°C at atmospheric pressure. This is the
lightest of the paraffin hydrocarbons.
Microcrystalline wax: Wax extracted from certain petroleum

residues and having a finer and less apparent crystalline structure
than paraffin wax. It is usually more opaque than paraffin wax, and
may vary from soft and plastic to hard and brittle, and from white to
dark brown in color. The term “amorphous” has been widely
applied to the plastic crystalline waxes, but is incorrect and should
be abandoned. The term “petroleum ceresin” is occasionally
applied to the hard, brittle waxes.
Migration: The lateral or vertical movement of water, oil, or gas

within the reservoir rock via the pores and/or fissures.
Mineral colza: A well-refined petroleum distillate, normally boiling

within the limits 250°C to 350°C, used as a burning oil where a
high flashpoint (above 125°C) is required. Largely utilized for
lighthouse illumination and in signal lamps, when it is sometimes
compounded with fatty oils. Also known as Mineral sperm and
Mineral seal.
Mineral jelly: See Petrolatum.

Mineral oil: Any oil derived from a mineral source. Such oils
include liquid products obtained from petroleum, shale and coal.
Mineral seal: See Mineral colza.
Mineral sperm: See Mineral colza.
Moist gas: Signifies a gas containing water droplets or moisture.
Molecule: Unit of matter. It is the smallest portion of an element

or compound which retains chemical identity with the same
particular substance en masse.
Molecular weight: The sum of the atomic weights of the atoms

composing a molecule.
Mol percent: An expression of the percent composition of a

mixture where the relative numbers of mols are computed by
dividing the number of pounds, grams, or other units of weight of
the individual constituents by their respective molecular weights.
For gases mol % is equivalent to volume %.
Motor oil: A refined lubricating oil suitable for use as a lubricant in

internal combustion engines. May be a distillate oil or a blend of
distillate oil with a bright stock.
Mud (drilling): In rotary drilling it is essential to remove the

cuttings from the hole by circulating suitable pumpable fluids.
These are usually mixtures of water and very finely divided material
such as special clays, shales, barites, etc.

Naphtha: A petroleum distillate covering the end of the gasoline
range, and the beginning of the kerosene range. Frequently used
as a feedstock for the reforming process. Also known as heavy
benzine or heavy gasoline.
Naphthenic hydrocarbons: Saturated hydrocarbons with at least

one closed ring of carbon atoms. Those with one ring only have the
formula CnH2n.
Natural gas: Gaseous forms of petroleum, commonly called

“natural gas” consist of mixtures of hydrocarbon gases and
vapours, the more important of which are methane, ethane,
propane, butane, pentane, and hexane all of the paraffin series
(CnH2n+2). It is found in certain localities issuing from the earth
under pressure and often produced in association with petroleum
in whose recovery it acts as an important factor. Natural gas is
usually classified as "wet” or “dry” depending on whether the
proportions of gasoline constituents which it contains are large or
small. Natural gas is also referred to as “Casinghead gas”.
Natural gasoline: A low-boiling liquid petroleum product extracted

from natural gas. In an unstabilized state it contains a high
proportion of propane and butanes. When the propane and some
butanes are removed, the stabilized gasoline is suitable for
blending with other gasoline.
Natural gasoline plant: Is defined as a plant which recovers

liquid hydrocarbons from raw natural gas.
Natural gas plant: Is the plant in which the hydrogen sulphide

and other undesirable contents are removed through chemical and
other processes. In addition to gas sweetening in the gas plant, the
recovery of other products, such as propane, butane, sulphur and
natural gasoline is possible.

Octane number: A term numerically indicating the relative anti-
knock value of a gasoline. It is based upon a comparison with the
reference fuels iso-octane (100 octane number) and normal
heptane ( 0 octane number). The octane number of an unknown
fuel is the percent by volume of iso-octane with normal heptane
which matches the unknown fuel in knocking tendencies under a
specified set of conditions.
Offset well: Is a well drilled opposite a well on an adjacent

property.
Oil-water level (oilfield): The level, referred to a convenient

datum, of the interface between an oil accumulation and the
underlying edge-water.
Olefins: Hydrocarbons having the general formula CnH2n and

containing a double bond or unsaturated linkage in the chain. They
are appreciably more reactive than the paraffins or naphthenes and
combine readily with elements such as hydrogen, chlorine,
bromine, etc.
Organic compounds: Compounds that show the following

properties: (1) burn in air, (2) are insoluble in water, (3) are soluble
in non-polar solvents such as hydrocarbon liquids, (4) are liquids or
low-melting point solids, (5) are covalent.
Orifice: A device to restrict the flow through a pipe. The difference

in pressure on the two sides of an orifice plate can be used to
measure the volume of flow through the pipe; an orifice can be
designed to cause the mixing of the materials flowing through the
pipe.
Overhead: In a distilling operation, that portion of the charge

which is vaporized.

Ozokerite (earth wax): A naturally occurring mineral wax, usually
dark brown in color, and containing mineral matter and oil. On
purification it yields a white to yellow microcrystalline wax which
may contain small quantities of oil. Fully refined ozokerite is a hard,
white, microcrystalline wax, substantially free from oil, that was
formerly, and is still occasionally, known as ceresin.
Packed tower: A fractionating or absorber tower which is filled

with small objects (steel or ceramic rings or saddles) to effect an
intimate contact between rising vapours and falling liquid.
Packer (oil well): A device used to isolate one part of the

borehole or casing from another for various purposes, such as
formation testing. In its usual form it consists of a rubber annulus
attached to a length of pipe inserted into the well, capable of being
expanded, when desired, to form a seal between the pipe and the
casing or walls of the open hole.
Paraffinic hydrocarbons: The term used to cover the whole

series of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having the general
formula CnH2n+2.
Paraffins: See Paraffinic hydrocarbons.
Paraffin scale: Similar to paraffin wax, but less highly refined and
having a higher oil content. It may vary from white to light yellow in
color.
Paraffin wax: Wax, of solid consistency and having a relatively

pronounced crystalline structure, extracted from certain distillates
from petroleum, shale oil, etc. Refined paraffin wax has a very low
oil content, is white, with some degree of translucency, almost
tasteless and odourless and is slightly greasy to the touch.

Pentane: A hydrocarbon of the paraffin series C5Hl2. Pentane
may exist in three forms, two of which are iso-pentane (boiling
point 28°C) and n-pentane (boiling point 36°C).
Permeability (geological): Is the capacity of a rock to transmit

fluid. It is measured by the rate at which fluid of standard viscosity
can move a given distance through a given time.
Petrolatum (petroleum jelly, mineral jelly): A soft, salve-like

material obtained from petroleum oils, and consisting essentially of
microcrystalline waxes in association with substantial quantities of
oil. It may vary in color from white to dark brown, but when refined
to white or amber color it is termed by the British Pharmacopoeia
“soft paraffin”.
Petroleum: A material occurring naturally in the earth, and

consisting essentially of hydrocarbons, solid, liquid, and gaseous.
Petroleum ceresin: This term is sometimes applied to the hard

and brittle microcrystalline waxes.
Petroleum coke: Solid matter formed as a by-product of thermal

cracking of petroleum. It consists mainly of carbon and has an ash
content very much smaller than that of coal cokes. Certain grades
are suitable as raw material for the manufacture of electrodes, but
its main uses are as boiler fuel and for the manufacture of special
steels.
Petroleum ether: A special boiling point spirit of high volatile

narrow distillation range, e. g. 40-60°C or 60-80°C, used in the
extraction of edible oils, etc., and for laboratory analytical work.
Petroleum jelly: See Petrolatum.

pH value: The logarithm of the reciprocal of the hydrogen ion
concentration. This indicates the acid or alkaline condition of a
substance: pure water, and neutral solutions having a pH of 7. Acid
solutions have a pH less than 7; alkaline solutions, a pH greater
than 7.
Pipette: A graduated glass tube used for measuring exact

volumes of a liquid.
Platforming: Upgrading of gasoline-reforming various

components to higher octane components - in presence of a
platinum catalyst and hydrogen.
Pneumatic: Moved or operated by air pressure.
Polymerization: The combination of identical molecules to form

complex molecules or polymers. Polymers range from light liquids
e.g. diisobutylene, to rubber -like materials, e.g. polyisobutylene.
When the combination is of molecules of similar type but different
structure the product is a copolymer.
Porosity (geological): The proportion of a rock’s total volume

occupied by voids between the mineral grains.
Pour point: The pour point of a petroleum oil is the lowest

temperature at which the oil will pour or flow when it is chilled
without disturbance under prescribed conditions.
Power kerosene: A volatile kerosene with distillation limits

essentially between 150°C and 260°C and of good anti-knock
value. It is used as a fuel for spark ignited engines, e.g. tractors,
and is alternatively known as vapour Oil.

Precipitate: A substance separating in solid form from a liquid as
the result of some chemical or physical change. It is to be
differentiated from a substance held only mechanically in
suspension, which is known as a sediment.
Pressure distillate: The untreated distillate product of thermal

cracking.
Propane: A hydrocarbon gas (C3H8), useful for heating and metal

cutting flame welding purposes. It can be stored under pressure
as a liquid at atmospheric temperatures, but it is more volatile than
butane, and high pressure is required to keep it in liquid form. By
reason of its chemical composition, it is classed as a C3
hydrocarbon.
Puking: A still or bubble tower is said to “puke” when the oil foams
and rises in the vessel and through the vapour line.
Radiant energy: Energy sent out or emitted by rays or waves.
Radiant section: Section of a furnace exposed to the actual

combustion of the fuel .
Radon gas: A radioactive gas present where the crude oil shows
high radioactivity.
Raffinate: The refined product from an extraction process.
Raschig rings: Small cylindrical rings used in packed-type

fractionating or absorption towers.
Reaction: When two or more substances undergo a chemical

change, they are said to react with one another and the change is
called the reaction.

Reboiler: An auxiliary of a fractionating tower designed to supply
additional heat to the lower portion. Liquid is usually withdrawn (or
pumped) from the side or bottom of the tower; is reheated by
means of heat exchange; and the vapours and residual liquid,
separately or together, are reintroduced to the tower.
Rectifier (rectifying section): Portion of fractionating tower

above feed tray where main duty is heavy ends removed from
rising vapours.
Recycle: Term given to a process peculiar to a particular plant,

i.e. recycling tail gases by compressing them and discharging into
the gas line to an absorber.
Recycling (oilfield): The practice of returning to the

underground reservoir such refinery products as are temporarily
out of market balance.
Recycling (refining): The procedure of recirculating those

portions of a feed stock which have passed unchanged through a
refining process. The term is also used to describe the continuous
returning of unwanted by-products to the process.
Reflection: In seismic prospecting, the returned energy wave

from a shot which has been reflected from a velocity discontinuity
back to a detector.
Reflux: In fractional distillation, part of the distillate (overhead)

may be returned to the fractionating column to assist in making a
more complete separation into the desired fractions. The material
returned is the reflux. The process is refluxing.
Reformed gasoline: Gasoline made by a reforming process.

Reforming: A process in which straight run feedstocks, e.g.
benzine naphthas, are subjected to high temperatures and
pressures with the object of changing their chemical structure in
such a way as to increase their octane number (See Cracking).
Reforming catalytic: Reforming in which reaction is promoted by

a catalyst.
Reforming thermal: Reforming without the use of a catalyst.
Refraction: Is the bending of energy at a velocity interface. In

seismic, if a receiver is distant in relation to depth of the formation,
the quickest path will be refracted along the high velocity layer.
Reid vapour pressure: The vapour pressure of petroleum

products, e.g. gasoline, measured at 100°F in the Reid apparatus
and reported in pounds per square inch.
Repressuring (oilfield): The injection of gas into a reservoir for

the purpose of maintaining or restoring reservoir pressure.
Reservoir rock (geological): A porous and permeable rock, e.g.,

sandstone or limestone, which contains petroleum in quantity.
Residue (residuum): The material remaining as unevaporated

liquid or solid from processes involving distillation or cracking.
Rich oil: Absorption oil that has taken up and still contains the
desired hydrocarbons from the wet gas.
Road oil: An oil intended for cold application to road surfaces for
binding and waterproofing purposes. Petroleum residues and light
cutbacks are among the products used as road oils.

Rotary drilling: In this system, the rock formation is penetrated
by a rotating bit connected to a hollow drill-pipe through which fluid
is pumped to convey the rock cuttings to surface.
Rotary table: A heavy geared circular steel body having a square

hole cut at its centre, for engaging and rotating the drilling string.
The table rotates in the horizontal plane and is normally driven by
chains from the draw-works.
Saturated gas: Is a substance in gaseous form in the presence of

some of its own liquid. Removal of a little heat will cause
condensation.
Scrubber: Equipment used for the removal of entrained liquids

and solids from gas, usually installed upstream from gas
compressors.
Secondary recovery: Methods by which the ultimate oil recovery

from a reservoir is increased after production by natural forces has
become uneconomical. Methods used include:
(a) Repressurizing by injection of high-pressure gas;
(b) Gas drive, i.e. the use of gas under lower pressure than (a)
(c) Use of water to drive oil out of the formation.
Seepage (geological): Prolonged erosion of the formations

overlying a petroleum accumulation may permit gas and/or oil to
seep to the surface.
Serpentine: A common rock forming mineral known as chrysotile

(asbestos). Serpentine is a magnesium silicate hydroxide.

Shooting (oil well): In order to facilitate the flow of oil towards
the wellbore explosive charges are sometimes lowered into the well
and fired opposite the producing formation with a view to fracturing
or shattering it.
Show (drilling): An indication of the presence of gas, oil or water

in the formations penetrated during drilling.
Side-tracking: Difficult fishing operations sometimes necessitate

the deflection of the borehole to avoid the fish. The operation,
carried out by means of a whipstock and special drilling tools, is
known as side-tracking.
Single-flash: A term applied to the sudden release of gases

and/or vapours from oil as opposed to removal in a number of
stages.
Sludge
(a) Acid sludge: Material of high specific gravity formed during

the chemical refining treatment of oils by sulphuric acid, and
usually separable by settling or centrifuging. Also known as
acid tar.
(b) Engine sludge: The insoluble degradation product of

lubricating oils and/or fuels, formed during their use in
internal combustion engines and deposited from the oil on
to engine parts outside the combustion space. Water may
or may not be present in such material.
(c) Tank sludge: Material which collects at the bottom of

storage tanks containing crude oils, residues, or other
petroleum products. Such sludge usually contains water
(See Bs & w).

Slush pump: The pump used for circulating the drilling fluid.
Soft paraffin: See Petrolatum.
Solar Oil: The term formerly applied to gas oil. The term derives
from the original use of a light distillate oil for the production of
illuminating gas by direct cracking.
Soluble cutting oil: A blend of mineral oil and emulsifiers. When

mixed with water in the right proportions, it forms a dispersion
suitable for use as a cutting fluid for metals, e.g. on a lathe.
Solvent extraction: Processes in which solvents are used to

dissolve out undesirable constituents, e.g. the removal of aromatics
from kerosene by extraction with liquid sulphur dioxide.
Solvent refining: Processes in which solvents are used to

eliminate undesirable constituents either by dissolving them out,
i.e. solvent extraction, or by precipitating them as in solvent de-
waxing and solvent de-asphalting.
Sour crude: Crude oil containing appreciable amounts of

hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans.
Sour gas: Hydrocarbon gas containing undesirable sulphur

compounds, sulphuretted hydrogen and methyl mercaptan.
Special boiling point spirit: A petroleum solvent fractionally

distilled to specially selected distillation characteristics. Such
distillates are normally manufactured from well-refined straight run
naphthas. The various volatilities are designed to enable a suitable
grade to be chosen for any particular industrial purpose.

Specific gravity: The ratio of the mass of a volume of a body to
the mass of an equal volume of some standard substance. In the
cases of liquids and solids, the standard is water; and in the case
of gases, the standard is air. The specific gravity is numerically
equal to the density. Particularly in the case of oils, the specific
gravity is determined through the use of a hydrometer.
Specific heat: The ratio of the quantity of heat required to raise

the temperature of a body one degree to that required to raise an
equal mass of water one degree.
Spindle oil: Originally used to describe a stable low viscosity oil

used in the lubrication of textile spindles. The term now includes
any low-viscosity mineral lubricating oil.
Spudding in: Spudding is the term used when the hole is just
being started. Spudding indicates that the bore from the surface to
a short distance below the surface (to the bed rocks or to several
hundred metres or more), is being made by a spudding tool or
some other suitable means rather than by the regular drilling tools.
These can’t be used due to their length.
SSU: Saybolt second universal. Measurement unit for viscosity.
Stabilize: The process of separating light gases from petroleum

or gasoline, thus leaving the liquid stable in the sense that it can be
handled or stored with less liability to change in composition., (i.e.
vaporization).
Stabilized gasoline: Gasoline after subjection to fractionation by
which the vapour pressure has been reduced to a specified
maximum. (See also Natural Gasoline.)
Static level: Level to which fluid rises in a well when the well is
shut in or at equilibrium.

Steam cylinder oil: Oil used to lubricate the cylinders of steam
engines. Usually dark viscous petroleum oils of high flash point,
sometimes compounded with fatty oil.
Steam saturated (dry): Steam which is at the same temperature

and pressure as the water from which it was evaporated, and
which does not contain any suspended water droplets.
Steam superheated: Steam with a temperature higher than that

corresponding to saturated steam at the same pressure.
Steam wet: Steam containing entrained water.
Still: The vessel used in a distillation process.
Stoichiometry: Term used by engineers pertaining to mass

relations in chemical reactions.
Straight run: Produced directly from crude oil by distillation but

not cracked or reformed.
Stripper: Equipment in which the lightest fractions are removed

from a mixture. The trays below the feed tray in a fractionator are
called stripping trays.
Stripper well: The term applied to the well after its production has
fallen off considerably. That is, a stripper well may be defined as a
well producing a low rate of crude oil or liquid hydrocarbons, and is
approaching the economic limit for production. The average
3
stripper well in the USA averages only about 0.5 m /day and the
number of these wells already drilled is about 70% of all wells
drilled.

Stripping: The process of relieving rich absorption oil of all of its
absorbed hydrocarbons.
Sulphur: A non-metallic element of lemon-yellow color,

sometimes known as “brimstone”. It burns with a blue flame
emitting clouds of sulphur dioxide, a suffocating gas used in the
manufacture of sulphuric acid.
Sulphur dioxide: A colorless gas of suffocating odor which is one

of the oxides of sulphur (SO2). It is a corrosive poison. However, it
is less dangerous to people than hydrogen sulphide which is
burned to S02 in the incinerator.
Superheated gas: Is a gas in such a condition that if some heat

were removed from it, the volume of the gas would decrease, but
there would be no condensation.
Surface tension: This is the tension in the interface between a

liquid and its saturated vapour.
Sweet: Having a good odor; pleasant to the sense of smell;

negative to the “doctor test”. Free of H2S.
Sweetening: Any treatment which renders a sour product sweet.
Sweet gas: Hydrocarbon gas, free from sulphur compounds.

Swivel (drilling): A connection made to the top of the kelly
through which the drilling fluid is pumped. A heavy steel link (the
bail) is used to suspend the drilling string from the hook while
internal thrust-races and glands permit rotation of the bottom
connection.
Syncline (geological): An earth fold in which the strata are

depressed in the form of a basin.

Tail gas: Residue gas
Tar: A term sometimes used to describe heavy liquid residues

derived from petroleum processes. The word “tar” usually indicates
the black viscous liquid resulting from the distillation of solid
material such as coal or wood.
Tectonic: Pertaining to, or designating the rock structure and

external forms resulting from the deformation of the earth's crust.
A general term applied to areas of crustal instability.
Tetraethyl lead: A colorless stable liquid obtained commercially

by the action of lead-sodium alloy on ethyl chloride. When added
in small proportions to gasoline, it increases the octane number.
For this purpose, tetraethyl lead is used in the form of ethyl fluid.
Thermowell: A tube, having one end closed, inserted into a

vessel, pipe or furnace, as protection for a thermocouple or
thermometer bulb.
Tight well: Is a well drilled without the release of information.
Topped crude: Crude oil from which some of the lighter

constituents have been removed by distillation.
Topping plant: Distillation equipment employed for the removal of

the volatile fractions of an oil.
Transformer oil: A well-refined, pale petroleum distillate of low

viscosity, resistant to oxidation under conditions of use. Used in
transformers for cooling and for electrical insulation.

Travelling block: An assembly of wireline sheaves to which is
attached a heavy steel hook used in conjunction with the
crownblock to obtain mechanical advantage in raising or lowering
the drilling string or casing.
Treatments: Somewhat loosely used to refer to all those refining

operations where small proportions of undesirable constituents are
removed from products by chemical or physical means,
e.g. acid treatment and sweetening.
Turbine oil: A well-refined specially selected petroleum distillate

or mixture of such with a bright stock. Used for the lubrication of
steam turbines. These oils show high resistance to emulsification
with water and to oxidation under conditions of use.
Unconformity: A surface of erosion or non deposition that

separates younger strata from older rocks.
Upstream: The portion of a flow before it reaches a given point.
Vacuum-breaking valve: A valve which acts inversely to a

pressure-relief valve; if the exterior pressure is higher than that
within a vessel, the valve will open to equalize the pressures.
Vaporization: The conversion of a liquid to its vapour, such as the

conversion of water into steam.
Vapour Oil: See Power kerosene.
Vapour pressure: The pressure exerted by the vapour escaping

from a liquid. As the temperature of the liquid rises its vapour
pressure increases; eventually it exceeds the pressure of the
confining atmosphere and the liquid boils. The petroleum industry
vapour pressures are usually reported as Reid vapour pressure.

Vaseline: A registered trade name for petrolatum.
Viscosity: That property of a fluid which determines its rate of

flow. As the temperature of a fluid is increased its viscosity
decreases and it therefore flows more readily.
Viscosity index: An arbitrary number used to characterize the

rate at which the viscosity of a lubricating oil changes with
changing temperature. Oils of high viscosity index exhibit a
relatively small change of viscosity with changing temperature and
vice versa .
Volatility: The ease with which a product begins to vaporize.

Volatile substances have relatively high vapour pressures and
therefore boil at relatively low temperatures.
Walking beam: An oscillating (vertically) lever or beam used to

transmit reciprocating vertical motion to the drilling tools (cable
tools; also used in pumping).
Water blanket: Water blanket is a term used when a column of

water is maintained in the bore hole. Important applications are in
the drill stem test and in some cases of drilling.
Wash oils: Petroleum fractions employed for the absorption of the

heavier easily liquefiable components of a mixture of gases.
Weathering: A term applied to the loss of light petroleum fractions

by exposure of the oil containing them to the atmosphere.
Wet gas: A gas mixture containing easily liquefiable components.

Wetting agent: A substance which, when added in small
amounts to a liquid, increases the rate at which that liquid spreads
across a surface.
Whipstock: In drilling operations it may be necessary to deflect

the direction of a borehole. This is accomplished by inserting a long
cylindrical steel bill with a tapering face cut at the desired angle to
the vertical, from which the bore is deflected when drilling is
resumed.
White oils: A term applied to oils substantially colorless and

without bloom made from light lubricating oils by a drastic process
of refining. They have various uses, such as for medicinal
purposes and in the manufacture of toilet preparations. The term is
also used in the expression “white oil ships”, in which case, light
colored petroleum products up to gas oil are meant.
White products: A term applied to the more volatile petroleum

products such as gasoline, white spirit, kerosene. It is not to be
confused with the term “White oils”.
White scale: See Paraffin scale.
White spirit: A refined distillate intermediate in distillation range

between gasoline and kerosene (i.e. with a distillation range of
about 150-200°C). It is used as a paint thinner and for dry
cleaning, etc. The term “mineral turpentine” or “turpentine
substitute” is sometimes used for white spirit, but is not
recommended, owing to possible confusion with gum turpentine. In
the USA the term "petroleum spirits” is used for white spirit.
Wild-cat: A term used to indicate a well which has been drilled

without a complete geological exploration of the locality.

Wild gasoline: This indicates a light petroleum spirit containing
appreciable quantities of material which are normally gaseous at
atmospheric temperatures and pressures, i.e. an unstabilized
gasoline.
Wild well: Is a well whose flow has not been brought under
control.
Work-over (oil well): A term applied to any operation performed

on a well subsequent to completion.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

LEARNING MODULE 027-31-95-02

Absorption: The process by which one substance draws into

Absorption oil: The absorbing medium used in the absorption

Absorption tower: A tower or column which effects contact

Accumulator: A vessel for the temporary storage of a gas or

Acid: A member of an important and fundamental category of

Acid gas: Hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, both of which

Acid sludge: See sludge.

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 1

Additives: Substances which, when added to petroleum fractions,

Adsorption: The adhesion, in an extremely thin layer, of the

Air: Often used synonymously with atmosphere, the latter

Aliphatic hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbons in which the carbon-

Alkali: In chemistry, any substance having marked basic

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 2

Ambient air: The air surrounding equipment or in a certain area.

Analysis: The process of determining the composition of a

Anhydrous: Free of water, especially water of crystallization.

Anticline (geological): An earth-fold in which the strata are

Antifoam agent: A specific agent used for combating and

Antiknock value: Premature explosive combustion or detonation

Antioxidant: A substance which, when added in small amounts to

A.P.I. : American Petroleum Institute.

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 3

deg API = 141.5 - 131.5

Water has an API gravity of 10°.

Aqueous: Watery; of, pertaining to, or containing water.

Aromatics: A group of hydrocarbons, of which benzene is the

Asphalt: Natural or mechanical mixtures in which bitumen is

Asphaltic bitumen: See Bitumen.

Asphaltic cement:Asphalt or bitumen, or blends of these with one

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 4

Atmospheric pressure: The pressure of air at sea level, exerted

Atom: The smallest complete particle of an element which can be

Atomic weight: The weight of an elementary atom in relation to

Attitude: A general term to describe the relation of some

Back-pressure regulator: An automatic valve designed to

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 5

Barometric pressure: The pressure of the atmosphere as

Barrel: As the standard unit of measurement of liquids in the

Base: A compound which reacts with an acid to form a salt. (See

Benzene: A pure aromatic hydrocarbon of characteristic odour

Benzine: Straight run petroleum spirit boiling within the range

Benzole: A mixture, predominantly composed of aromatic

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 6

Bituminous mastic (bitumastic): Mixtures of bitumen with inert

Black oils: A general term applied to the heavier and darker

Bleeding: Diverting from a line or vessel a small portion of the

Blending: Intimate mixing of the various components in the

Blowcase: A vessel used on a batch basis for removal of

Blown bitumen: A semi-solid or solid oxidized product obtained

© 1996, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 7

Blow-out preventer: A special hydraulically operated gland-like

Boiler horsepower: One boiler horsepower equals the

Boiling: The process by which a liquid is rapidly changed to

Boiling point: The temperature at which a substance begins to

Boiling range: The range of temperature, usually determined at

Bomb: Steel cylinder used as testing device for conducting oil

Bottoms: The liquid which collects in the bottom of a vessel,