Preface

Naphthenic acids confer acidic properties on crude oil and the extent of the acidity is expressed as the total acid number (TAN), which is the number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to neutralize one gram of crude oil. Conversely, the total base number (TBN) is determined by titration with acids and is a measure of the amount of basic substances in the oil always under the conditions prescribed by the test method.

High acid crude oils represent the fastest growing segment of global crude oil production. California, Brazil, North Sea, Russia, China, India, and West Africa are known to supply high acid crudes—synthetic crude oil derived from tar sand bitumen is often deemed highly acidic. Due to the overall shortage of processing capacity for high acid crude oil by many refineries and the need to produce low boiling (light) products, high quality crudes are often in high demand, resulting in abundant supply and significant discounts for opportunity crude oils.

The book provides an overview with some degree of detail of the identification of naphthenic acids and their influence on refinery process units. There are process descriptions with a focus on the examination and identification of corrosion and metallurgical problems that occur in process units caused by high acid crude oils.

March 15, 2014