Description

Fuel oil is a broad term for petroleum-based liquid fuels used to produce heat or power. It includes lighter distillate grades and heavier residual grades. The term alone does not identify a single composition or performance standard; the actual grade and tested specification must be stated.

 

How is fuel oil produced?

In refining, lighter fractions are separated from heavier material by distillation. A heavy liquid remaining after lighter products are removed can form the basis of residual fuel oil. Depending on the required grade, it may be processed or blended with suitable streams to achieve target viscosity, handling properties, and sulfur content. Distillate fuel oils are made from lighter refinery fractions.

In a refinery processing a dark, heavy feedstock, the bottom product may be a candidate for residual fuel oil. Its saleable grade can only be confirmed by testing — a dark color or a bottom-of-column origin is not enough to establish suitability for a particular burner or marine application.

 

What is fuel oil used for?

Depending on the grade, equipment, and local requirements, fuel oil may be used for:

• Industrial boilers, furnaces and process heaters
• Power generation in suitable fuel-oil-fired equipment
• Marine fuel blending or use, only when the final fuel meets the applicable specification

Fuel oil is not one interchangeable grade. Residual products can require heating for storage, pumping, or combustion. Marine use requires additional testing against the agreed marine fuel specification and applicable sulfur limits. Product suitability must be confirmed for the end user’s equipment and operating conditions.

 

Key properties to check

• Viscosity at the stated temperature
• Density and flash point
• Sulfur, water and sediment
• Ash, and stability or compatibility where relevant
• For residual grades: pour point and contaminant levels

Review the product specification and a recent Certificate of Analysis.

 

Availability & specification

Product availability and the specification of a particular fuel oil grade vary by supplier. Contact our team for the grade, specification, Certificate of Analysis, current pricing and delivery options.

Technical references: U.S. Energy Information Administration — “Glossary: Fuel oil” and “Glossary: Residual fuel oil”; ASTM International — “D396 Standard Specification for Fuel Oils”; International Maritime Organization — “Sulphur oxides and particulate matter: Regulation 14”.