[rushdy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', 'I')'m starting to wonder what the extra heavy oil that Chavez goes on about looks like.

[Niagara]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('oilpimp', '-')yes, that's melting snow on the rig floor. Bohai Bay gets cold but it's a good bit above freezing when this pic was taken.
-however, it's still 13deg API crude. Heavy oil. It would act this way if it were 50degF or 75degF outside. Oozier of course the warmer it gets, but that's not really the point.
-we'd just pulled that out of the ground (where it's nice and warm).
-since the bottom hole temperatures are 60degC (145degF), this stuff can flow, it just needs help from the pumps to get it out of the ground.

-I think the point of shannymara's post wasn't so much to discuss the characteristics of viscous heavy oil at various temperatures (that's not my intent either), I think it was to illustrate that heavy oil is nasty. After all, pictures are cool.

To answer Seahorse's questions.
-I believe conventional oil is peaking.
-yes, I've read "Twilight..." Isn't that required reading for this site?
-I'll give you my area of expertise in the context of oil/gas (even though that's only a sliver of everything else I do). I am and have been an engineer in the oil biz for a number of years speciallizing in drilling/completions(well construction) and production engineering (what happens once they're online with regard to flow rates, declines, etc). I focus on the downhole. I worked for a major for a while and now an independent having experience in US onshore, offshore, deepwater and international (heavy oil).

[mekrob]

I, too, am wondering where he went, same with Energy Digger. If oilpimp comes back (or if anyone else can answer this):

Why is it brown? I thought crude was black. Is the brown color due to the gelling, or is it because of higher amounts of impurities?

[oilpimp]

yes, I'm around...I've not posted in a while because I've been completely slammed at work and I'm trying to get some more travelling done while I can. Here in the office, we're dealing with some pretty serious water encroachment/production issues right now surprise surprise. I'll answer your questions shortly...

[NEOPO]

Sweet refers to sulphur content.
Light refers to "wax" microcrystalline and parrafin content.
SLC looks like honey.

So I would guess it has a high sulphur content and/or is very "waxy" but I could be wrong.

[oilpimp]

Most of the oil we produce is actually a little darker in color (maybe the color in the picture was a little off or there's a slight emulsion I don't remember)...there's not much sulphur in this oil though, I mean, it still has all the usual characteristics of heavy oil like it's heavy and has more heavy crap (asphaltenes and "heavy" end hydrocarbons, heavy metals, N2, high specific gravity, low hydrogen-to-carbon ratio...etc) hence all the refining. On the flip side, I've worked gas/condensate fields where the wells produce perfectly clear high API condensate (natural gas liquid). You could have a glass of that stuff sitting on your desk and it'd look just like water (it'd smell to high heaven and it would catch on fire if you smoked too closely). You'd also have to watch out or most of it would evaporate. Old field hands would throw a quart in their F-150's to "cleanout" their engines. Hmmm, the good ol' days....