Guide to World Crudes: Equinor updates Njord Blend assay

Based on a sample taken Jan. 26, 2023, Equinor ASA on the same day issued an updated commercial assay of Njord crude oil to better represent the quality of this blend to its customers. The revised assay, which reflects the addition of production from Fenja field, became effective for liftings in March 2023.

The assay update follows completed upgrades to both the Njord A platform and floating storage and offloading vessel (FSO), which has doubled the life of Njord field in 330 m of water in the Norwegian Sea, 30 km west of Draugen and 130 km northwest of Kristiansund.

The Njord A platform and Njord Bravo FSO were brought ashore in 2016 for extensive refurbishments after 19 years of production, marking the first time a platform and a FSO have been disconnected from the field, upgraded, and towed back. Equinor-operated Bauge and Neptune Energy Norge AS-operated Fenja fields were developed in parallel with the upgrading project.

After 6 years, Njord production resumed Dec. 27, 2022, with the field now equipped to produce until 2040.

Produced oil from Njord is delivered via pipeline to the FSO and onwards by tankers to market. Natural gas is exported through a 40-km pipeline connected to the Åsgard system for transport to Kårstø terminal.

Equinor Energy AS (27.5%) operates Njord on behalf of partners Wintershall Dea Norge AS (50%), and Neptune Energy Norge (22.5%).

Whole crude

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.816

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 41.8

UOP K factor: 12.2

Total sulfur, wt %: 0.079

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 1.0

Total nitrogen, ppm: 278

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 89.000

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Reid vapor pressure, psi: 6.7

Vis. at 20° C., cst: 3.41

Vis. at 40° C., cst: 2.49

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 2.17

Paraffins, wt %: 34.2

Naphthenes, wt %: 37.9

Aromatics, wt %: 27.9

Pour point, °C.: 11

Wax, wt %: 8.0

C7 asphaltenes, wt %: 0.1

Micro carbon residue, wt %: 0.6

Rams. carbon residue, wt %: 0.5

Vanadium, ppm (wt): 0.4

Nickel, ppm (wt): 0.3

Methane + ethane, wt %: 0.02

Propane, wt %: 0.34

iso-Butane, wt %: 0.31

n-Butane, wt %: 1.39

iso-Pentane, wt %: 1.06

n-Pentane, wt %: 1.62

Cyclopentane, wt %: 0.16

C6 paraffins, wt %: 2.85

C6 naphthenes, wt %: 1.85

Benzene, wt %: 0.39

C7 paraffins, wt %: 2.56

C7 naphthenes, wt %: 2.90

Toulene, wt %: 0.88

Atmospheric distillation

C5 - 65° C.

Pentanes to 65° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 4.2

Yield on crude, vol %: 5.4

Cumulative yield, wt %: 6.3

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.643

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 88.5

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 0.1

RON (clear): 77.4

MON (clear): 76.7

Paraffins, wt %: 96.2

Naphthenes, wt %: 3.8

Hydrogen, wt %: 16.5

65 - 100° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 7.07

Yield on crude, vol %: 7.9

Cumulative yield, wt %: 13.3

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.719

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 65.4

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 0.5

RON (clear): 56.9

MON (clear): 55.1

Paraffins, wt %: 57.5

Naphthenes, wt %: 36.9

Aromatics, wt %: 5.5

Hydrogen, wt %: 15.1

100 - 150° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 11.3

Yield on crude, vol %: 12.0

Cumulative yield, wt %: 24.5

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.766

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 53.1

UOP K factor: 11.7

Sulfur, ppm: 0.001

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 0.7

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.01

RON (clear): 60.3

MON (clear): 57.3

Paraffins, wt %: 39.5

Naphthenes, wt %: 40.6

Aromatics, wt %: 19.9

Aniline point, °C.: 50.2

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.9

150 - 200° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 9.8

Yield on crude, vol %: 10.0

Cumulative yield, wt %: 34.3

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.784

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 48.8

UOP K factor: 11.9

Sulfur, ppm: 0.004

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 0.9

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.01

Vis. at 20° C., cst: 1.18

Vis. at 40° C., cst: 0.94

RON (clear): 40.9

MON (clear): 38.5

Paraffins, wt %: 44.5

Naphthenes, wt %: 33.3

Aromatics, wt %: 16.9

Freeze point, °C.: -65

Smoke point, mm: 27

Cetane index: 41

Naphthalenes, vol %: 0.2

Aniline point, °C.: 56.1

Hydrogen, wt %: 14.2

200 - 250° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 9.8

Yield on crude, vol %: 9.8

Cumulative yield, wt %: 44.1

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.814

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 42.3

UOP K factor: 11.83

Sulfur, ppm: 0.013

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 1.0

Total nitrogen, ppm: 1

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 0.761

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.02

Vis. at 40° C., cst: 1.62

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 1.40

Pour point, °C.: -46

Cloud point, °C.: -44

Freeze point, °C.: -42

Smoke point, mm: 23

Cetane index: 48

Naphthalenes, vol %: 3.2

Aniline point, °C.: 64.7

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.7

250 - 300° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 10.6

Yield on crude, vol %: 10.3

Cumulative yield, wt %: 54.7

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.838

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 37.3

UOP K factor: 11.9

Sulfur, ppm: 0.031

Mercaptan sulfur, ppm: 0.9

Total nitrogen, ppm: 8

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 4.673

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.02

Vis. at 40° C., cst: 2.97

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 2.44

Pour point, °C.: -21

Cloud point, °C.: -20

Freeze point, °C.: -16

Smoke point, mm: 19

Cetane index: 55

Naphthalenes, vol %: 7.3

Aniline point, °C.: 72.0

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.4

300 - 350° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 9.4

Yield on crude, vol %: 9.0

Cumulative yield, wt %: 64.1

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.856

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 33.7

UOP K factor: 12.0

Sulfur, ppm: 0.088

Total nitrogen, ppm: 54

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 23.220

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Vis. at 40° C., cst: 5.63

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 4.37

Pour point, °C.: 4

Cloud point, °C.: 4

Cetane index: 62

Naphthalenes, vol %: 12.2

Aniline point, °C.: 79.2

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.2

350 - 370° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 3.4

Yield on crude, vol %: 3.2

Cumulative yield, wt %: 67.6

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.867

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 31.7

UOP K factor: 12.0

Sulfur, ppm: 0.119

Total nitrogen, ppm: 129

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 52.060

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Vis. at 40° C., cst: 10.00

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 7.42

Pour point, °C.: 17

Cetane index: 69

Aniline point, °C.: 86.0

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.2

370° + C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 32.4

Yield on crude, vol %: 29.4

Cumulative yield, wt %: 100.0

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.898

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 26.1

UOP K factor: 12.3

Sulfur, ppm: 0.190

Total nitrogen, ppm: 826

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 259.800

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 47.70

Vis. at 60° C., cst: 31.5

Vis. at 100° C., cst: 9.26

Pour point, °C.: 42

Wax, wt %: 18.7

C7 asphaltenes, wt %: 0.2

Micro carbon residue, wt %: 1.8

Rams. carbon residue, wt %: 1.6

Vanadium, ppm (wt): 1.1

Nickel, ppm (wt): 1.0

Vacuum distillation

370 - 450° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 14.8

Yield on crude, vol %: 13.8

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.879

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 29.5

UOP K factor: 12.2

Sulfur, ppm: 0.122

Total nitrogen, ppm: 262

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 96.290

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 16.90

Vis. at 60° C., cst: 12.2

Vis. at 100° C., cst: 4.62

Pour point, °C.: 32

Aniline point, °C.: 96.7

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.1

Wax, wt %: 19.1

450 - 500° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 7.4

Yield on crude, vol %: 6.8

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.889

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 27.7

UOP K factor: 12.4

Sulfur, ppm: 0.149

Total nitrogen, ppm: 488

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 159.400

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 35.70

Vis. at 60° C., cst: 24.3

Vis. at 100° C., cst: 7.75

Pour point, °C.: 45

Aniline point, °C.: 104.9

Hydrogen, wt %: 13.0

Wax, wt %: 21.5

500 - 550° C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 4.6

Yield on crude, vol %: 4.1

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.906

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 24.6

UOP K factor: 12.4

Sulfur, ppm: 0.208

Total nitrogen, ppm: 821

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 268.290

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.03

Vis. at 50° C., cst: 92.80

Vis. at 60° C., cst: 58.0

Vis. at 100° C., cst: 14.50

Pour point, °C.: 51

Aniline point, °C.: 106.7

Hydrogen, wt %: 12.8

Wax, wt %: 20.2

Micro carbon residue, wt %: 0.8

Rams. carbon residue, wt %: 0.8

550° + C.

Yield on crude, wt %: 5.6

Yield on crude, vol %: 4.8

Density at 15° C., kg/l.: 0.959

API gravity at 60/60° F.: 16.0

UOP K factor: 12.2

Sulfur, ppm: 0.407

Total nitrogen, ppm: 2,762

Basic nitrogen, ppm: 817.170

Total acid no., mg KOH/g: 0.04

Vis. at 100° C., cst: 157.00

Vis. at 130° C., cst: 46.9

Pour point, °C.: 37

Wax, wt %: 12.7

C7 asphaltenes, wt %: 0.9

Micro carbon residue, wt %: 9.7

Rams. carbon residue, wt %: 8.6

Vanadium, ppm (wt): 6.3

Nickel, ppm (wt): 6.0