What types of crude oil can a refinery process?

A refinery is designed to process a variety of crude oil types to produce different petroleum products. Specifically, it can handle light, medium, and heavy crudes. Each type of crude oil has distinct properties, such as viscosity and sulfur content, which influence the refining process and the types of products that can be produced.

Light crude oil, for example, has a low density and a relatively high yield of valuable products like gasoline and diesel. Medium crude offers a balanced yield of various products and is easier to refine than heavy crude. Heavy crude oil, while more viscous and demanding of more complex refining processes, can also be processed to extract valuable products.

The ability to process these varying grades of crude oil allows refineries to be flexible in their operations, optimizing for market demands and feedstock availability. Refineries often are equipped with technologies that enable them to process a specific range of crude oil types, making them capable of efficiently converting raw crude into usable fuels and other products. This versatility is crucial for meeting energy needs and adapting to changing economic conditions in the oil market.