The global oil market is brimming with a smorgasbord of crudes, from the Canadian tar sands extracted with the help of steam and sand, to the lightest US condensates whose color mirrors a glass of fine white wine.
Each crude stream possesses its own unique characteristics, and when refined yields varying proportions of different refined products. Understanding crude quality has never been more important, following the dramatic rise in US shale output, which has transformed the composition of the global oil market.
