Light crude
Higher petroleum-gravity values indicate lower density. Under the plotted S&P bands, light begins at 31.2°.
Sweet, sour, light and heavy crude oil.
Light and heavy describe crude density; sweet and sour describe sulfur content. They are separate measurements, so a crude can be light and sour or heavy and sweet. This page compares 85 named grades by both measures and explains why refinery fit, location and transport still matter.
Crude oil density and sulfur classifications.
Heavy crude
Lower gravity means a denser crude. The plotted heavy band ends at 22.3°; values between 22.4° and 31.1° are medium.
Sweet crude
Sweet refers to lower sulfur. This page uses the cited threshold of less than 0.5% sulfur.
Sour crude
Sour refers to higher sulfur. At 0.5% sulfur or more, the plotted point falls in the sour half of the map.
Read the number with the label. Classification cutoffs vary across publications. The measured gravity and sulfur values are more precise than a one-word description.
Crude oil density and sulfur comparison chart.
Move right for lighter crude and move upward for more sulfur. Dashed lines show the stated classification thresholds. Hover or tap a point for the grade, country and measurements.
Typical assay values from the cited methodology and government-hosted crude-properties report. Published ranges use their midpoint only for chart placement.
Grades compared85
Regions represented9
Sweet threshold< 0.5% sulfur
Light threshold31.2° and above
World map of crude oil producing areas and loading origins.
The world map places all 85 grades at a representative producing area, offshore field or loading origin. It also traces Saudi Arabia’s East–West Pipeline from the Abqaiq area to Yanbu. Select a marker or the pipeline for details.
Crude grade origin East–West crude pipeline
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How crude oil and refined fuels move to the markets that use them.
Follow each numbered chain in order: 1 is the production or loading point, 2 is a refinery or import terminal and 3 is the supplied market. Every chain has its own line color; short dots show the inbound leg, while longer dashes show fuel moving into its market.
1Production or loading 2Refinery 2Import terminal 3Market area 1 to 2 · inbound supply 2 to 3 · market distribution
1Alberta and Edmonton2Nigeria and Dangote3Oman, Kuwait and Duqm4Abu Dhabi and Ruwais5US Gulf and Port Arthur6North Sea and Humber7Saudi crude and South Korea8Australia · Lytton9Australia · Geelong10Australia · imported fuel
Asian market coverage. Route 3 separates Duqm’s South, Southeast and East Asian export areas. Route 4 shows Asian destinations for surplus Ruwais products. Route 7 follows Saudi crude to the S-OIL refinery in Ulsan and onward to South Korean and Northeast Asian product markets.
How Australia gets oil and fuel. Routes 8 and 9 show imported or regional crude feeding the Lytton and Geelong refineries. Route 10 shows the larger channel: gasoline, diesel and jet fuel arrive already refined through Australia’s coastal import-terminal network. In 2023–24, imports met 79% of Australian refined-product consumption, while domestic refineries imported just under two-thirds of their feedstock.
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1 Alberta oil sands → Edmonton → Western Canada
Oil-sands feedstock from northern Alberta moves to Suncor’s Edmonton refinery, which supplies gasoline, diesel and jet fuel across Western Canada.
1 · Produced or loadedWood Buffalo oil-sands region
2 · RefinedSuncor Edmonton Refinery 159,000 b/d; gasoline, diesel and jet fuel
3 · SuppliedAlberta fuel marketBritish Columbia fuel marketSaskatchewan fuel market
2 Nigerian and imported crude → Dangote → Nigeria and export markets
Dangote is a flexible merchant refinery with marine crude intake. Its products serve Nigerian demand and regional or international export markets.
1 · Produced or loadedNigerian offshore supply area
2 · RefinedDangote Petroleum Refinery 700,000 b/d; gasoline, diesel, Jet A-1, LPG and petrochemicals
3 · SuppliedNigeria fuel marketWest African fuel marketEuropean export market
3 Omani and Kuwaiti crude → Duqm → global export markets
OQ8 documents crude arriving from Oman and Kuwait and lists export markets across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas.
1 · Produced or loadedMina Al Fahal, OmanMina Al Ahmadi, Kuwait
2 · RefinedOQ8 Duqm Refinery 230,000 b/d nameplate; flexible merchant refinery
3 · SuppliedSouth Asian export marketsSoutheast Asian export marketsEast Asian export marketsAfrican export marketsEuropean export markets
4 Abu Dhabi crude → Ruwais → UAE and export clients
Ruwais historically refined Murban and can now process Upper Zakum and other heavier, sourer grades. Products move through UAE distribution and marine export facilities.
1 · Produced or loadedMurban onshore fieldsUpper Zakum offshore field
2 · RefinedADNOC Ruwais Refinery More than 922,000 barrels per stream day
3 · SuppliedAbu Dhabi distribution networkSouth Asian export marketsSoutheast and East Asian export marketsEuropean export markets
5 Heavy sour supply → Port Arthur → US pipeline and marine markets
Valero receives heavy sour crude and other feedstocks by pipeline, marine dock and rail, then distributes gasoline, diesel and jet fuel by pipeline, ship and barge.
1 · Produced or loadedGulf Coast feedstock network
2 · RefinedValero Port Arthur Refinery 435,000 b/d; gasoline, diesel and jet fuel
3 · SuppliedUS Midcontinent pipeline marketUS East Coast pipeline market
6 Variable crude supply → Humber → UK and global markets
Humber’s crude slate is not fixed. Phillips 66 says most light oils go to UK customers, while other refined products are exported worldwide.
1 · Produced or loadedNorth Sea and marine crude supply
2 · RefinedPhillips 66 Humber Refinery 221,000 b/d crude capacity; fuels and specialty coke
3 · SuppliedUnited Kingdom fuel marketWorldwide export market
7 Saudi crude exports → S-OIL Ulsan → South Korean markets
Saudi crude exports are strongly oriented toward Asia. S-OIL’s integrated Ulsan complex refines crude and supplies fuels, base oils and petrochemical products for South Korea and export customers.
1 · Produced or loadedRas Tanura export system
2 · RefinedS-OIL Ulsan refinery complex 669,000 b/d crude refining capacity in Ulsan, South Korea
3 · SuppliedSouth Korean fuel marketNortheast Asian product markets
8 Regional crude supply → Lytton → Queensland fuel market
Ampol sources crude and refinery feedstocks through its Singapore trading operation. Its published supply description says Lytton receives crude from Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa and North America before supplying fuels to the Australian market.
1 · Produced or loadedNorthwest Australian supply areaSoutheast Asian supply areaNew Zealand supply areaNorth American supply area
2 · RefinedAmpol Lytton Refinery Brisbane refinery configured mainly for light, sweet crude and complementary feedstocks
3 · SuppliedQueensland fuel marketEastern Australian fuel market
9 Imported crude via Crib Point → Geelong → Victorian fuel market
Some crude tankers transfer cargo at Crib Point because their draft prevents them from reaching the Geelong refinery pier. The crude is then taken to Geelong, whose operator says the refinery supplies about half of Victoria’s fuel.
1 · Produced or loadedCrib Point crude-transfer area
2 · RefinedViva Energy Geelong Refinery One of Australia’s two remaining refineries; supplies about half of Victoria’s fuel
3 · SuppliedVictorian fuel marketSouthern Australian fuel market
10 Regional refineries and trading hubs → Australian terminals → consumers
Most fuel used in Australia arrives already refined. Government statistics say imports met 79% of refined-product consumption in 2023–24. The terminal marker represents a national coastal network rather than one port handling every cargo.
1 · Refined products loadedSingapore refining and trading hubSouth Korean refining hubMalaysian refining and trading hubJapanese refining market
2 · Imported and storedAustralian coastal import-terminal network Representative Sydney map anchor for import, storage and distribution terminals around Australia; not the landing point for every cargo
3 · SuppliedSydney and New South Wales fuel marketMelbourne and Victoria fuel marketBrisbane and Queensland fuel marketPerth and Western Australia fuel market
How to read the routes. A line shows an operator-documented supply relationship or logistics capability. It does not mean every barrel follows that path, and a refinery’s crude slate and destination mix can change with contracts, maintenance, freight and demand.
Regional coverage of the crude-grade dataset.
The map contains 85 representative crude grades across 9 regional groups: North America, the North Sea, the Caspian and Mediterranean, the Middle East, Nigeria and wider Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific, and Russia’s Arctic north.
Americas crude grades
Coverage spans Alaska, Canadian oil sands and Atlantic grades, US inland and Gulf Coast crudes, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana.
European, African and Middle Eastern crude grades
UK, Norwegian and Danish North Sea streams sit beside Black Sea, Caspian, Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, Nigerian, Angolan, Congolese, Ghanaian, Chadian and Sudanese grades.
Asia-Pacific and Russian crude grades
Coverage extends across Asian and Pacific producers plus Russian supply regions from Western and Eastern Siberia to the Arctic north and Sakhalin in the Far East.
Representative, not exhaustive. Thousands of fields and cargo blends exist, and assays can change. A grade is included when a reliable published gravity and sulfur pair supports a useful regional comparison.
Saudi Arabian crude grades and the East–West Pipeline.
Saudi Arabia produces five commercial crude grades, not two: Arabian Super Light, Arabian Extra Light, Arabian Light, Arabian Medium and Arabian Heavy. The dots show representative supply areas because each export grade can combine qualifying streams from an integrated field and processing network.
Saudi grades mapped5
Pipeline lengthAbout 1,200 km (745–750 miles)
Installed capacity5 million b/d
RouteAbqaiq → Yanbu
Five grades cover a wide quality range
Arabian Super Light exceeds 40° gravity with less than 0.5% sulfur. Extra Light, Light, Medium and Heavy step through progressively denser and more sulfur-rich bands published by Aramco.
The pipeline crosses Saudi Arabia
Moves eastern Saudi crude to the Red Sea, providing an export route that can bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Its map line runs from Abqaiq processing area to Yanbu crude terminal on the Red Sea. The drawn bends are schematic and should not be used as an engineering alignment.
The construction date is commonly misstated
Aramco dates construction to the 1980s; the system entered service around 1981. It is better described as an early-1980s system than as a pipeline built in the 1970s.
| Saudi crude grade | Published gravity | Published sulfur | Representative supply area on this map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabian Super Light | More than 40° | Less than 0.5% | Eastern Saudi production network, representative grade-supply point |
| Arabian Extra Light | 36–40° | 0.5–1.3% | Shaybah field and other extra-light supply |
| Arabian Light | 33.0° | 1.98% | Berri and eastern Saudi light-crude supply, representative point |
| Arabian Medium | 29–32° | 2.2–2.9% | Marjan offshore field and medium-crude supply, representative point |
| Arabian Heavy | 27.7° | 2.99% | Manifa and other heavy-crude supply, representative point |
Sources and map limits. Aramco confirms the five grades and their quality bands. The EIA documents the pipeline route and capacity, while Aramco’s corporate history dates construction to the 1980s. Open-ended Super Light limits are plotted just inside their published band; ranged Extra Light and Medium values use band midpoints.
Russian crude oil grades and producing regions.
Russia pumps crude from far more than two places. The map now includes the eight main Russian grades identified by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, spread across Western Siberia and the Volga-Urals, Eastern Siberia, the Arctic north and the Far East. Each dot represents a grade’s broad supply area or field, not every well in that region.
Major grades mapped8
Broad supply areas4
Gravity range23–45°
Sulfur range0.1%–2.4%
Western Siberia and Volga-Urals
Urals combines supply from Western Siberia and the Volga-Urals. Siberian Light and Novy Port show that western production is not one uniform quality.
Eastern Siberia and the Far East
ESPO represents Eastern Siberian supply, while Sokol and Sakhalin come from the Far East around Sakhalin.
Northern and Arctic supply
Varandey represents northern supply through its Arctic terminal. ARCO comes from the offshore Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea.
Upstream grade locations do not establish whether a downstream plant is running. Use the Russian refinery status map for dated, source-linked operating reports.
How to read the ranged grades. The EIA publishes ranges for Varandey, ARCO, Sakhalin and Novy Port. Their points use the middle of each published range for chart placement; the table retains the full ranges.
Nigerian crude oil grades and quality measurements.
Nigeria is represented by 13 named export grades on the chart. They are not interchangeable: density ranges from medium Egina at 27.3° to very light Agbami at 47.88°, while the plotted sulfur measurements run from 0.04% to 0.27%. Every Nigerian grade shown falls below this page’s 0.5% sweet-crude threshold.
Nigerian grades plotted13
Gravity range27.3°–47.88°
Sulfur range0.04%–0.27%
Quality bandMedium or light sweet
Bonny Light, Qua Iboe, Forcados, Escravos and Brass River load from named terminals. Agbami, Akpo, Bonga, Erha, Usan and Egina load from offshore production vessels or terminals. Nembe and Okwuibome are also plotted using their separately published specifications. These loading arrangements identify export streams; they do not mean that every cargo has an identical assay. For price context, compare the OPEC Reference Basket and its Bonny Light component with the Brent benchmark.
Crude oil grades, quality and production scale by region.
Regional groups help with navigation; they do not make every local crude interchangeable. Delivery location, assay, contract terms and observation period remain part of the product.
How to read the production estimate. A commercial grade can be a field stream, a terminal blend or a pricing benchmark, and most public authorities do not publish a separate daily volume for every grade. The production column therefore shows the latest defensible country or producing-region output associated with that row. Its basis and period appear under the number. The same total can appear beside several grades, so do not add the rows together or treat the figure as grade-only output.
North America
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Canadian Select | Canada | 21.3° | 3.46% | ≈5.35 million b/d Canada crude oil and equivalents total2025 source | Heavy sour |
| West Texas Intermediate | United States | 37–42° range | 0.42% | ≈13.6 million b/d United States crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Light sweet midpoint |
| Louisiana Light Sweet | United States | 35–41° range | 0.39% | ≈13.6 million b/d United States crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Light sweet midpoint |
| Bakken | United States | 40–42° range | 0.18% | ≈13.6 million b/d United States crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Light sweet midpoint |
| Mars | United States | 29.4° | 1.87% | ≈13.6 million b/d United States crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Medium sour |
| Alaska North Slope | United States / Alaska | 32.1° | 0.96% | ≈13.6 million b/d United States crude total; ANS is not isolated here2025 source | Light sour |
| Hebron | Canada | 20.4° | 0.79% | ≈5.35 million b/d Canada crude oil and equivalents total2025 source | Heavy sour |
Europe / North Sea
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent | North Sea | 37–39° range | 0.4% | ≈2.35 million b/d Norway and United Kingdom crude total; Brent is a benchmark complex2024 source | Light sweet midpoint |
| Forties | United Kingdom / North Sea | 38.7° | 0.64% | ≈579,000 b/d United Kingdom crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Oseberg | Norway / North Sea | 37.8° | 0.25% | ≈1.77 million b/d Norway crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Ekofisk | Norway / North Sea | 38.5° | 0.19% | ≈1.77 million b/d Norway crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Johan Sverdrup | Norway / North Sea | 28.0° | 0.8% | ≈1.77 million b/d Norway crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Troll | Norway / North Sea | 35.9° | 0.14% | ≈1.77 million b/d Norway crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| DUC | Denmark / North Sea | 33.5° | 0.25% | ≈60,000 b/d Denmark crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
Caspian / Mediterranean
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC Blend | Kazakhstan / Black Sea | 45.3° | 0.56% | ≈1.53 million b/d Kazakhstan crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Urals | Russia / Western Siberia and Volga-Urals | 31.3° | 1.36% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; Urals is a multi-region blend2025 source | Light sour |
| Siberian Light | Russia / Western Siberia | 35.1° | 0.57% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Light sour |
| Azeri Light | Azerbaijan | 36.55° | 0.15% | ≈479,000 b/d Azerbaijan crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Saharan Blend | Algeria | 45.0° | 0.1% | ≈907,000 b/d Algeria crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Es Sider | Libya | 36.71° | 0.37% | ≈1.14 million b/d Libya crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Suez Blend | Egypt | 31.3° | 1.41% | ≈450,000 b/d Egypt crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Kirkuk | Iraq / Mediterranean | 33.9° | 2.26% | ≈3.86 million b/d Iraq crude total; Kirkuk stream not isolated2024 source | Light sour |
Middle East
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murban | United Arab Emirates | 40.5° | 0.79% | ≈2.92 million b/d United Arab Emirates crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Oman | Oman | 31.3° | 1.14% | ≈760,000 b/d Oman crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 30.4° | 2.13% | ≈2.92 million b/d United Arab Emirates crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Upper Zakum | United Arab Emirates | 33.9° | 1.82% | ≈2.92 million b/d United Arab Emirates crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Umm Lulu | United Arab Emirates | 38.9° | 0.7% | ≈2.92 million b/d United Arab Emirates crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Das Blend | United Arab Emirates | 38.8° | 1.14% | ≈2.92 million b/d United Arab Emirates crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Al Shaheen | Qatar | 29.5° | 2.31% | ≈614,000 b/d Qatar crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Qatar Marine | Qatar | 32.65° | 1.84% | ≈614,000 b/d Qatar crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Qatar Land | Qatar | 39.4° | 1.35% | ≈614,000 b/d Qatar crude total2024 source | Light sour |
| Basrah Heavy | Iraq | 24.0° | 4.05% | ≈3.86 million b/d Iraq crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Basrah Medium | Iraq | 29.0° | 3% | ≈3.86 million b/d Iraq crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Arabian Super Light | Saudi Arabia | More than 40° | Less than 0.5% | ≈9.6 million b/d Saudi Arabia crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Light sweet boundary point |
| Arabian Extra Light | Saudi Arabia | 36–40° range | 0.5–1.3% | ≈9.6 million b/d Saudi Arabia crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Light sour midpoint |
| Arabian Light | Saudi Arabia | 33.0° | 1.98% | ≈9.6 million b/d Saudi Arabia crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Light sour |
| Arabian Medium | Saudi Arabia | 29–32° range | 2.2–2.9% | ≈9.6 million b/d Saudi Arabia crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Medium sour midpoint |
| Arabian Heavy | Saudi Arabia | 27.7° | 2.99% | ≈9.6 million b/d Saudi Arabia crude and lease-condensate total2025 source | Medium sour |
Nigeria / West Africa
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonny Light | Nigeria | 32.9° | 0.16% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Qua Iboe | Nigeria | 37.6° | 0.11% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Forcados | Nigeria | 31.5° | 0.22% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Escravos | Nigeria | 32.4° | 0.17% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Brass River | Nigeria | 40.1° | 0.18% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Agbami | Nigeria | 47.88° | 0.04% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Akpo | Nigeria | 45.8° | 0.07% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Bonga | Nigeria | 29.4° | 0.25% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Erha | Nigeria | 35.4° | 0.17% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
| Usan | Nigeria | 29.9° | 0.27% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Egina | Nigeria | 27.3° | 0.17% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Nembe | Nigeria | 29.3° | 0.14% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Okwuibome | Nigeria | 42.1° | 0.079% | ≈1.34 million b/d Nigeria crude total; individual export streams not isolated2024 source | Light sweet |
Africa
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalia | Angola | 23.1° | 0.51% | ≈1.12 million b/d Angola crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Cabinda | Angola | 32.2° | 0.15% | ≈1.12 million b/d Angola crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Girassol | Angola | 30.2° | 0.34% | ≈1.12 million b/d Angola crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Jubilee | Ghana | 36.8° | 0.29% | ≈132,000 b/d Ghana crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Djeno | Republic of the Congo | 27.6° | 0.34% | ≈260,000 b/d Republic of the Congo crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Doba | Chad | 25.8° | 0.09% | ≈111,000 b/d Chad crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Dar Blend | South Sudan | 25.0° | 0.111% | ≈76,000 b/d South Sudan crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Nile Blend | Sudan / South Sudan | 32.76° | 0.045% | ≈104,000 b/d Combined Sudan and South Sudan crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
Latin America / Caribbean
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castilla Blend | Colombia | 17.7° | 1.83% | ≈773,000 b/d Colombia crude total2024 source | Heavy sour |
| Liza | Guyana | 32.0° | 0.58% | ≈902,000 b/d Guyana average crude productionH1 2026 source | Light sour |
| Maya | Mexico | 21.5° | 3.4% | ≈1.55 million b/d Mexico crude total2024 source | Heavy sour |
| Merey 16 | Venezuela | 16.0° | 3.4% | ≈921,000 b/d Venezuela crude total2024 source | Heavy sour |
| Mero | Brazil | 28.8° | 0.32% | ≈3.36 million b/d Brazil crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Napo | Ecuador | 17.0° | 2.3% | ≈475,000 b/d Ecuador crude total2024 source | Heavy sour |
| Oriente | Ecuador | 23.0° | 1.5% | ≈475,000 b/d Ecuador crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Tupi | Brazil | 31.0° | 0.35% | ≈3.36 million b/d Brazil crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Vasconia | Colombia | 24.5° | 0.9% | ≈773,000 b/d Colombia crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Medanito | Argentina | 42.1° | 0.15% | ≈740,000 b/d Argentina crude total2025 estimate source | Light sweet |
Asia-Pacific
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tapis | Malaysia | 45.8° | 0.03% | ≈341,000 b/d Malaysia crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Minas | Indonesia | 33.9° | 0.084% | ≈517,000 b/d Indonesia crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Duri | Indonesia | 21.7° | 0.182% | ≈517,000 b/d Indonesia crude total2024 source | Heavy sweet |
| ESPO | Russia / Eastern Siberia | 34.7° | 0.5% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Light sour |
| Sokol | Russia / Far East | 39.7° | 0.17% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Light sweet |
| Sakhalin | Russia / Far East | 37–45° range | 0.1–0.3% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Light sweet midpoint |
| Shengli | China | 24.2° | 0.84% | ≈4.24 million b/d China crude total2024 source | Medium sour |
| Vincent | Australia | 17.4° | 0.368% | ≈77,000 b/d Australia crude total2024 source | Heavy sweet |
| Banyu Urip | Indonesia | 32.8° | 0.32% | ≈517,000 b/d Indonesia crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Cambay | India | 43.8° | 0.035% | ≈533,000 b/d India crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Bach Ho | Vietnam | 39.99° | 0.041% | ≈162,000 b/d Vietnam crude total2024 source | Light sweet |
| Champion | Brunei | 28.83° | 0.11% | ≈75,000 b/d Brunei crude total2024 source | Medium sweet |
| Kutubu Blend | Papua New Guinea | 54.3° | 0.02% | ≈31,500 b/d Papua New Guinea petroleum-liquids total2025 estimate source | Light sweet |
Russia / Arctic
| Crude grade | Country or area | Petroleum gravity | Sulfur | Associated production estimate | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varandey | Russia / Northern | 25–37° range | 0.2–0.5% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Medium sweet midpoint |
| ARCO | Russia / Northern | 23–24° range | 2.2–2.4% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Medium sour midpoint |
| Novy Port | Russia / Western Siberia | 30–35° range | 0.1–0.3% | ≈9.9 million b/d Russia crude total; grade output is not isolated2025 source | Light sweet midpoint |
Refineries, crude capabilities and refined products.
Refinery configuration helps determine which crude qualities a plant can process and which products it can make. The examples below use operator-published descriptions. A refinery’s actual crude slate changes with contracts, freight, maintenance, availability and product demand.
| Operator and refinery | Location | Published capacity | Published feedstock or capability | Principal products | Related market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dangote Petroleum Refinery & PetrochemicalsDangote Petroleum Refinery | Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria | 700,000 b/dPublished crude-distillation capacity | Flexible merchant refinery with marine crude intake; no single Nigerian export grade is presented as its permanent feedstock. | Gasoline (PMS), diesel (AGO), Jet A-1, LPG and polypropylene | Nigerian light sweet grades |
| Suncor EnergyEdmonton Refinery | Strathcona County, Alberta, Canada | 159,000 b/dPublished refining capacity | Entirely oil-sands-based feedstocks, principally Suncor, Syncrude, Wood Buffalo and Cold Lake supply. | Gasoline, diesel and jet fuel | WCS and Canadian heavy oil |
| Valero EnergyPort Arthur Refinery | Port Arthur, Texas, United States | 435,000 b/dPublished throughput capacity | Heavy sour crude oil and other feedstocks received by pipeline, marine dock and rail. | Gasoline, diesel and jet fuel; adjacent renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel production | WTI and US oil pricing |
| Phillips 66Humber Refinery | North Lincolnshire, United Kingdom | 221,000 b/d crudePublished crude-throughput capacity | A coking refinery with distillation, cracking, desulfurisation and delayed-coking units; the operator does not name one fixed crude slate. | Gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, petrochemical feedstocks, heating oil and anode-grade petroleum coke | Brent and North Sea pricing |
| OQ8 (OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International)Duqm Refinery | Duqm, Oman | 255,000 b/dReported operating refining capacity | Mainly Oman Export Crude via Mina Al Fahal (35%) and Kuwait Export Crude via Mina Al Ahmadi (65%); as a merchant refinery it can also buy other crude and feedstock types. | Diesel, jet fuel, naphtha, LPG, petroleum coke and sulfur (source) | Oman crude benchmark |
| ADNOC RefiningRuwais Refinery | Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | More than 922,000 b/dPublished crude-and-condensate refining rate | Historically centred on Murban; upgraded to process heavier, sourer grades including Upper Zakum and many other crude varieties. | LPG, gasoline, diesel, naphtha, jet fuel, base oils, propylene, carbon black and calcined coke | Murban crude benchmark |
Light refined products
LPG, gasoline and naphtha sit toward the lighter end of a refinery’s output. Naphtha can become gasoline blendstock or a petrochemical feedstock.
Middle-distillate products
Kerosene, jet fuel and diesel occupy the middle boiling range. Hydrotreating removes sulfur so the finished fuel can meet its specification.
Heavy products and conversion units
Fuel oil, asphalt and petroleum coke come from heavier fractions or conversion units. Cokers and hydrocrackers can turn more of a heavy barrel into lighter products.
Capability is not a cargo log. The table tells you what operators say a refinery can handle and make. It does not prove that a named crude grade is running there today. Open the refinery capacity chart for daily and annual scale, ownership and stock-code context.
How crude density and sulfur affect refinery processing.
Density and the refined-product mix
Lighter crude generally contains a larger share of lower-boiling material. Heavier crude can require more conversion capacity to turn residual molecules into transport fuels and other higher-value products. The guide to why the United States imports oil shows how that refinery fit affects real crude flows.
Sulfur removal and fuel specifications
Higher-sulfur crude needs more desulfurisation to meet product specifications. The cost depends on the refinery configuration, energy inputs and the products being made.
Quality, location and crude prices
Transport constraints, freight, regional demand, supply reliability and contract terms can outweigh a simple quality ranking. Compare the WCS benchmark with WTI, or study Oman, Dubai and Murban together.
Crude-quality data sources and measurement notes.
- S&P Global Commodity Insights — Asia Pacific and Middle East Crude Oil Methodology
- Transport Canada — crude-oil properties report
- S&P Global Energy — Europe and Africa Crude Oil Specifications Guide
- S&P Global Energy — Nembe and Okwuibome Nigerian crude specifications
- S&P Global Energy — Americas Crude Oil Specifications Guide
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Russia Country Analysis Brief
- Saudi Aramco — Arabian crude oil grades and quality bands
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Saudi Arabia country analysis
- OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin 2025 — world crude oil production by country
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — 2025 crude oil production
- Canada Energy Regulator — 2025 crude oil and equivalent production
- Government of Guyana — first-half 2026 crude production
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Brazil, Guyana and Argentina production estimates
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — international petroleum production data
Typical assay values can differ by cargo and publication. Ranged gravity values are shown as ranges in the table and plotted at their midpoint. No price premium or discount is inferred from quality alone.
Crude oil quality questions.
What is the difference between light and heavy crude oil?
Light and heavy describe density. Higher petroleum-gravity values indicate lighter crude; lower values indicate denser, heavier crude.
What is the difference between sweet and sour crude oil?
Sweet and sour describe sulfur content. This page uses less than 0.5% sulfur for sweet and 0.5% or more for sour, following the cited classification chart.
Can crude oil be light and sour?
Yes. Density and sulfur are independent measurements. Murban, for example, is light by the plotted gravity band and sour under the plotted 0.5% sulfur threshold.
What type of crude oil does Nigeria produce?
Nigeria produces several distinct export grades rather than one Nigerian crude. The grades plotted here range from medium sweet Bonga, Egina, Nembe and Usan to very light sweet Agbami and Akpo.
How many crude oil grades does Saudi Arabia produce?
Saudi Aramco publishes five grades: Arabian Super Light, Arabian Extra Light, Arabian Light, Arabian Medium and Arabian Heavy. Their names describe commercial quality bands, not five individual oil fields.
Was Saudi Arabia’s East–West Pipeline built in the 1970s?
No. Saudi Aramco dates construction of the 1,200-kilometre East–West crude pipeline to the 1980s, and the system entered service around 1981. It connects the Abqaiq area in eastern Saudi Arabia with Yanbu on the Red Sea.
Does Russia produce crude oil outside the Urals and Sakhalin?
Yes. The EIA identifies eight main Russian crude grades across Western Siberia and the Volga-Urals, Eastern Siberia, northern Russia and the Far East. The map plots one representative supply area for each grade rather than every field or well.
Does light sweet crude always cost more?
No. Quality affects refinery fit and processing, but location, transport, supply, demand, contract terms and the observation period also affect price.
Does a refinery always process the same crude oil?
No. Configuration, supply contracts, shipping economics, maintenance and product demand can change the crude slate. The refinery table reports operator-published capabilities and products, not a permanent cargo assignment.
Oil benchmarks related to crude quality.
Open the price or benchmark page after checking the grade. Each page explains its own observation period, market role and source date.
Murban United Arab Emirates · Light crude · 40.5° gravity · 0.79% sulfur Official export availability forecast
OPEC Reference Basket Twelve OPEC member crude streams · Basket of light, medium and heavy crude oils Annual price history + component table
Listed oil companies Connect producers, refiners and pipelines to the regions and crude grades above.
Russian refinery status map See which major plants were reported offline, constrained, operating or unverified.
All oil prices and benchmarks Compare histories, spreads and benchmark roles from the oil hub.