Data quality, concepts and methodology: Definitions

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Refined petroleum products

Propane, and propane mixes. A normally gaseous paraffinic compound extracted from refinery gases.

Butane, and butane mixes. A normally gaseous paraffinic hydrocarbon extracted from refinery gasses.

Petrochemical feedstocks. Refinery gases or other petroleum derivatives if sold to a chemical company to be used as a raw material for further processing, such as chemicals, synthetic rubber and a variety of plastics.

Naphtha specialties. Includes materials such as industrial and commercial solvents, lighting naphtha, mineral spirits and paint thinners.

Aviation gasoline. All gasoline type fuels for piston type aircraft engines.

Motor gasoline. All gasoline type fuels for internal combustion engines other than aircraft.

Retail sales of motor gasoline. All sales of motor gasoline (including additives) to retail outlets, including marinas, irrespective of type of ownership or operations including own brands, subsidiary, brands, the known or authoritative estimate of retail sales of jobbers, resellers, agents etc.

Aviation turbo fuel (kerosene type). All kerosene type fuels for turbo-jet or straight type jet aircraft engines.

Aviation turbo fuel (naphtha type). All naphtha type fuels for turbo-jet or straight type jet aircraft engines.

Kerosene, stove oil. Includes mineral lamp oil, no.1 fuel oil, and stove oil (including all vaporising burning oil). Is used in space heaters, cook stoves and is suitable for use as an illuminate when burned in wick lamps.

Diesel fuel oil. All grades of distillate fuel sold for diesel engine use including low sulphur content (with sulphur content lower than 0.05%).

Light fuel oil (nos. 2 and 3). Includes all distillate type fuels for power burners, fuel oil no. 2 (heating oil no. 2), fuel oil no. 3 (heating oil no. 3), furnace fuel oil, gas oils and light industrial fuel.

Heavy fuel oil (nos. 4, 5 and 6). All grades of residual type fuels including low sulphur (with sulphur content lower than 1%) for both steam and diesel engines. Bunker B and Bunker C, fuel oils nos. 4, 5 and 6, and residual fuel oil.

Asphalt. Produced by petroleum processing and includes asphalt flux, asphalt primers, asphaltic saturants, bitumals, cutback asphalts, liquid or solid asphalts, oxidized asphalt, paving compound and fluxes or primers.

Petroleum coke (including coke from catalytic cracker). All petroleum coke included. Petroleum coke is obtained mainly by cracking and carbonising of residue feedstocks, tar and pitches in processes such as delayed cocking or fluid cocking. The two most important qualities are green coke and calumniated coke. This category also includes catalyst coke deposited on the catalyst during refining processes: this coke is not recoverable and is usually burned as refinery fuel.

Lubricating oil and grease. Includes all oils and greases of petroleum origin manufactured or sold for lubricating purposes. Also contains automotive or industrial oils which may be described as having special properties other than lubricating alone such as brake fluids, automatic transmission oils, industrial cutting oils or coolants and rust preventatives.

Still gas. The remaining unseparated gaseous fractions produced in refinery distillation or cracking produced in refinery distillation or cracking processes, after marketable products have been extracted. This is usually consumed as refinery fuel although sales have been made to public gas utilities under certain circumstances.

Other petroleum products. All other petroleum products such as wax and candels, unfinished products, etc.

Supply and disposition of petroleum products

Refinery supply of crude oil. Total domestic crude receipts - Receipts of domestic crude oils and equivalent at refineries for processing into petroleum products or held in inventories.

Supply regions:

  1. Western Canada - Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest and Yukon
  2. Eastern Canada - Newfoundland, Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario
  3. Atlantic Canada - Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick
  4. Other provinces and territories - Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Total crude imports. Receipts of imported crude oils at refineries for processing into petroleum products or held in inventories, by foreign country.

Note: OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) includes Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Venezuela, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Angola, and Indonesia.

Grand total receipts of crude oils and equivalent. Total receipts of domestic crude oils and equivalent plus total crude oil imports at refineries for processing into petroleum products or held in inventories.

By pipeline. All domestic and imported crude oils received into refinery tankage from pipelines.

By other means. All domestic and imported crude oils received into refinery tankage from means other than pipelines for example tank car, tank truck, tankers etc.

Inventories (opening and closing). Refinery tankage of domestic and imported crude oils, excludes pipeline fill. The opening inventory of the reporting month equals the closing inventory of the previous month.

Losses and adjustments. Crude oil losses due to spillage, metering difference etc, after receipt into refinery tankage.

Total crude oils and equivalent charged. The total volume of domestic and imported crude oils put into refinery processing units for processing into petroleum products. The sum of crude oil receipts by pipeline, by other means, transfers from other reporting companies and opening inventories minus transfers to other reporting companies, closing inventories and losses and adjustments. Note: transfers to and from other reporting companies are not displayed.

Feedstock charged

Total crude oils and equivalent charged. The sum of crude oils and equivalent feedstock noted below put into refinery processing units for processing into petroleum products.

  1. Conventional light crude oil charged. All medium and light crude oils of 26 degrees API and over excluding synthetic crude oil production, condensate and pentanes plus.
  2. Conventional heavy crude oil charged. All crude oils under 26 degrees API which in its natural state can be recovered with primary pumping techniques.
  3. Synthetic crude oil charged. High quality light crude oil derived from upgrading bitumen from oil sands (see Conventional light crude oil charged).
  4. Crude bitumen charged. Heavy crude oil, below 20 degrees API, not recoverable commercially without application of in-situ recovery techniques for example steam injection.
  5. Condensate and pentanes plus charged. Low density crude oils with a rating of over 40 degrees API.

Note: API (American Petroleum Institute). Internationally accepted measure of crude oil specific gravity, for example water has a specific gravity of 10 degrees API.

Other materials charged

Total other materials charged. The sum of other refinery feedstock noted below excluding crude oils and equivalent put into refinery processing units for processing into petroleum products.

  1. Crude tops. That portion of crude oil charged that remains after a refinery has extracted the desired heavy products which is subject to further processing.
  2. Crude bottoms. That portion of crude oil charged that remains after a refinery has extracted the desired light products which are subject to further processing.
  3. Liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs). Includes propane and butane or propane and butane mixes.
  4. Natural gas. Excludes natural gas used for non-refining purposes such as for heating.
  5. Lubricating oils and base stock in operations. Excludes substances used to reduce friction.
  6. Other feedstock used in operations. Additives to improve refinery yields.

Total feedstock charged. The sum of 'Crude oil and equivalent charged' and 'Other materials charged'.

Refinery losses. Refineries produce a greater volume of finished products whose specific gravity on average is greater than feedstock charged as inputs to processing units. The resulting 'volumetric gain' is shown as a deduction (negative entry) from refinery production to ensure balancing of refinery production with refinery inputs.

Refinery production

Refinery production. The volume of petroleum products produced from crude oil and equivalent and other materials input into refinery processing units. Production is measured on 'net yield' basis, that is, the stage after exchanges between the various processes of the refinery.

Transfers to refinery feedstocks. Previously refined or partially refined petroleum products and other materials input into refinery processing units for further processing into other petroleum products.

Inter-provincial transfers (in / out). The movement of petroleum products entering or leaving one province from another.

Receipts and deliveries to and from other reporting companies. Receipts from and deliveries to other reporting companies of petroleum products where a change in title to product being transferred has occurred (see Appendix I). Note: Receipts from other reporting companies may include receipts from non-reporting companies.

Imports. Receipts of finished and unfinished petroleum products received from foreign sources.

Inventories (opening and closing). Petroleum product refinery and marketing inventories. The opening inventory of the reporting month equals the closing inventory of the previous month.

Exports. Sales of finished or unfinished petroleum products for export outside of Canada.

Losses and adjustments. Petroleum product refinery or marketing losses due to metering difference, shrinkage, spillage etc.

Own consumption. Amount of petroleum product produced or purchased and used in refinery operations.

Domestic sales. The sales of finished and unfinished refined petroleum products. This line is the sum of production plus inter-provincial transfers-in, receipts from reporting companies, receipts from non-reporting companies, imports and opening inventory minus inter-provincial transfers-out, closing inventory, deliveries to reporting companies, exports, losses and adjustments and own consumption.

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