ABSTRACT
Crude oils are complex mixtures of a vast number of hydrocarbon compounds. Properties of crude petroleum vary appreciably and depend mainly on the origin. In this chapter, the chemical composition of the crude oils is viewed, including the hydrocarbon series as well as the nonhydrocarbon compounds. Physical methods generally used for indentifying types of crude oils are described next. Characterization and classification of crude oils based on correlation indexes and crude assays are presented, followed by a comparison between some of the well-known types of oil.
