Meaning
Analytical testing of crude oil and heavy fuel deliveries measures non-hydrocarbon impurities and free or emulsified water trapped within bulk liquid shipments. Determining basic sediment and water establishes the net volume of marketable hydrocarbons present in a cargo, establishing the basis for price deductions or cargo rejection. Laboratory centrifuges, distillation apparatus and titration equipment isolate suspended solids and water from pure oil samples.
The measurement governs price adjustments in crude purchasing and bulk trading contracts, stopping at the boundary where refined product specifications mandate complete absence of water phase components.
Impurity Deduction
Purchasing contracts require deducting foreign material volume directly from total delivered quantity before calculating the final invoice amount. Factoring basic sediment and water into net invoice amounts prevents buyers from paying crude prices for non-hydrocarbon waste. Pipeline operators enforce strict limits on incoming batches to prevent internal corrosion and equipment wear.
High contamination levels trigger automatic monetary deductions based on agreed schedule tables.
Custody Boundary
Terminal storage agreements require precise laboratory analysis before title and risk transfer from barge to storage tank. Incorporating basic sediment and water verification into custody transfer protocols protects storage operators from accepting off-spec material. Sampling occurs at receipt manifolds using automated inline samplers or manual composite dipping.
Discrepancies between load port and discharge port results are settled using independent lab retains.
Rejection Threshold
Off-spec crude shipments containing excessive water or suspended solids create processing hazards for refining operations. Supply contracts establish absolute upper limits for basic sediment and water above which buyers retain the right to reject entire shipments. Rejection forces the seller to pay demurrage and re-routing fees.
Contractual clauses define the exact test methods used to validate compliance.