ABSTRACT
Petroleum exhibits a wide range of physical properties and several relationships can be made
between various physical properties (Speight, 2001). Whereas properties such as viscosity,
density, boiling point, and color of petroleum may vary widely, the ultimate or elemental
analysis varies, as already noted, over a narrow range for a large number of petroleum
samples. The carbon content is relatively constant, while the hydrogen and heteroatom
contents are responsible for the major differences between petroleum samples. Coupled
with the changes brought about to the feedstock constituents by refinery operations, it is
not surprising that petroleum characterization is a monumental task.
