B100 B100 indicates that the biodiesel is pure biodiesel since it is 100% biodiesel. Back Off To unscrew one threaded piece (such as a section of pipe) from another. Back Pressure The pressure resulting from restriction of full natural flow of oil or gas. Back Up To hold one section of an object, such as a pipe or a nut, while another is being screwed into or out of it. A BACK UP WRENCH refers to any wrench being used to hold the pipe or bolt. Bad Oil Oil not acceptable for delivery to the pipeline purchaser because of too high BS&W; oil requiring additional treating. Baffles Plates or obstructions built into a tank or other vessel to change the direction of fluid flow. Balancing item Represents differences between the sum of the components of natural gas supply and the sum of the components of natural gas disposition. These differences may be due to quantities lost or to the effects of data reporting problems. Reporting problems include differences due to the net result of conversions of flow data metered at varying temperature and pressure bases and converted to a standard temperature and pressure base; the effect of variations in company accounting and billing practices; differences between billing cycle and calendar period time frames; and imbalances resulting from the merger of data reporting systems that vary in scope, format, definitions, and type of respondents. Ball and Seat Parts of the valves in a plunger type oil well pump. Ballast Seawater taken into a vessel's tanks in order to submerge the vessel to proper trim. Ballast can be taken into cargo tanks, double bottoms, fore and aft peak tanks and/or segregated ballast tanks, (SBT). Barge Non-self-propelled marine vessel used as cargo tankers, equipment and supply carriers, crane platforms and support and accommodation bases in offshore drilling, and as submarine pipe-laying vessels. Barrel of Oil Equivalent (BOE) BOE = gas volumes divided by six and added to crude and natural gas volumes. Barrels 1 barrel = 0.117347766 cubic metres. Barrels per Calendar day The amount of input that a distillation facility can process under usual operating conditions. The amount is expressed in terms of capacity during a 24-hour period and reduces the maximum processing capability of all units at the facility under continuous operation (see Barrels per Stream Day below) to account for the following limitations that may delay, interrupt, or slow down production. the capability of downstream processing units to absorb the output of crude oil processing facilities of a given refinery. No reduction is necessary for intermediate streams that are distributed to other than downstream facilities as part of a refinery's normal operation; the types and grades of inputs to be processed; the types and grades of products expected to be manufactured; the environmental constraints associated with refinery operations; the reduction of capacity for scheduled downtime due to such conditions as routine inspection, maintenance, repairs, and turnaround; and the reduction of capacity for unscheduled downtime due to such conditions as mechanical problems, repairs, and slowdowns. Barrels per Stream day The maximum number of barrels of input that a distillation facility can process within a 24-hour period when running at full capacity under optimal crude and product slate conditions with no allowance for downtime. Base (cushion) gas The volume of gas needed as a permanent inventory to maintain adequate reservoir pressures and deliverability rates throughout the withdrawal season. All native gas is included in the base gas volume. Basement Rock The ancient rock that lies below sedimentary strata; it does not contain oil or gas. Basic Sediment and Water (BS&W) The water and other extraneous material present in crude oil. Batch A definite amount of oil, mud, chemicals, cement, or other material in a treatment or operation. Battery (Tank Battery) The production handling equipment on the lease. bbl The abbreviation for barrel(s). bbl/d The abbreviation for barrel(s) per day. bcf The abbreviation for billion cubic feet. Beam The walking beam of a pumping unit. Beam Well A well whose fluid is being lifted by rods and pump actuated by a beam pump rig unit. Bean A type of choke used to regulate the flow of fluid from a well. Different sizes of beans are used for different producing rates. Bedrock The firm base rock to which is anchored the geological structure of interest to petroleum geologists. Bell Hole A bell-shaped hole dug beneath a pipeline to provide room for use of tools by workers. Benzene An aromatic hydrocarbon present to a minor degree in most crude oils. Some important products manufactured from benzene are styrene, phenol, nylon and synthetic detergents. Biodiesel Biodiesel is composed of monoalkyl esters (methyl/ethyl esters), a long chain of fatty acids derived from renewable lipid sources. It is an ester based, renewable fuel made from vegetable oils, recycled fryer oils, tallow and other biological products which have had their viscosity reduced using a process called tranestrification, by which glycerin (thick component of vegetable oil) is removed. Biodiesel is biodegradable, non-toxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Originally biodiesel was considered a by-product of glycerin soap production. Biodiesel Blend Blend of biodiesel and diesel fuels. The blend can be with Diesel #1, Diesel #2, or JP8. One standard blend that meets the minimum requirements of the federal EPAct clean air criteria is B20. The number after "B" indicates the percentage of biodiesel included in the blend. In B20, there would be 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel in the fuel blend. A biodiesel blend can come in any mixture percentage, i.e., B2, B5, B50, B85 and so on. Biofuel Alcohols, esters, ethers, and other chemicals (biodiesel, ethanol, and methane) made from cellulosic biomass sources or organic matter (herbaceous and woody plants, animal fats, agricultural and forest waste, or municipal solid and industrial waste) within an active carbon cycle. Production and combustion of biofuels take and replenish the CO? in a circular, sustainable fashion. These fuels are used for stationary and mobile applications, i.e., electricity and transportation. Two commonly used biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. Biomass Plant material, vegetation, tallow and other animal fats, or other agricultural and forest wastes used as fuel or energy sources. Biomass also includes municipal solid and industrial wastes and crops grown solely for energy purposes. Biomass gas A medium Btu gas containing methane and carbon dioxide, resulting from the action of microorganisms on organic materials such as a landfill. Biomass to liquid (BTL) The process of converting biomass to liquid fuels. Hmm, that seems painfully obvious when you write it out. Biorefinery A factory that would use biomass as the raw material instead of petroleum. An oil refinery manipulates hydrocarbon molecules in petroleum to produce gasoline, diesel fuel and petrochemicals that are used to make everything from nylon to paint to pesticides. A biorefinery could use biomass to produce fuel as well as plastics, solvents, adhesives and drugs. Blank liner A liner without perforations or slots. Blank Off To close off by sealing or plugging. Bleed To drain off liquid or gas, generally slowly, through a valve called a bleeder. To BLEED DOWN, or BLEED OFF, means to slowly release the pressure of a well or of pressurized equipment. Bleeder Valve A small valve on a pipeline, pump, or tank from which samples are drawn or to vent air or oil; sample valve. Blending The technique of combining two or more petroleum liquids to produce a product with specific characteristics. Blind To close a line to prevent flow. Blind Flange A solid disc used to dead end a companion flange. Block Subdivision of sea area for the purpose of licensing to a company or companies for exploration/production rights. A UK block is 130 of a quadrant and is approximately 200-250 squ. km (a quadrant is one degree by one degree.) Block Leases A contract with diverse owners of separately leased oil and gas tracts that enables an oil company to drill one or two test wells instead of one well per tract. Blow-out Accidental escape of oil or gas from a well during the drilling stage. Blow-out Preventer (BOP) High pressure valve fitted to the top of the casing to prevent blow-outs. Blowout Accidental escape of oil or gas from a well during the drilling stage. Blowout Preventer (BOP) High pressure valve fitted to the top of the casing to prevent blow-outs. Boilerhouse To make up or fake a report without actually doing the work. Bonnet The part of a valve that packs off and encloses the valve stem. Booster A pump system installed to maintain or increase pressure in pipelines so that liquids and gases keep flowing. Boot A tall section of large-size pipe used as a surge column on a vessel. BOPD/BPD Barrels of oil per day; barrels per day. Bottled gas A group of hydrocarbon-based gases derived from crude oil refining or natural gas fractionation. They include ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, normal butane, butylene, isobutane, and isobutylene. For convenience of transportation, these gases are liquefied through pressurization. Bottom Out To reach the objective depth in drilling a well. Bottom Water Water occurring below the oil and gas in a production formation. Bottom-Hole The lowest or deepest part of a well. Bottom-hole Assembly The components, together as a group, that make up the lower end of the drill string ? comprising the drill bit, drill collars, drill pipe and ancillary equipment. Bottoms The heavy portions, or fractions, of a crude oil that do not vaporize during distillation; the accumulation of sediments, mud and water in the bottoms of lease tanks. Bowl A device that fits in the rotary table or wellhead to hold the wedges or slips that support a string of drill pipe casing or tubing while tripping in or out of the hole. Branded product A refined petroleum product sold by a refiner with the understanding that the purchaser has the right to resell the product under a trademark, trade name, service mark, or other identifying symbol or names owned by such refiner. Break Out To unscrew one section of pipe from another section. Brent Term used for crude oil from the North Sea. Brent oil is traded at the International Petroleum Exchange in London, and the price of Brent is used as a benchmark for several other types of European oil. British Thermal Unit (BTU) A Btu is the amount of heat required to change the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Btu conversion factors Natural Gas ..... 1,031 Btu/cubic foot, Fuel Oil No.1 ..... 135,000 Btu/gallon, Kerosene ..... 135,000 Btu/gallon, Fuel Oil No.2 ..... 138,690 Btu/gallon Btu per cubic foot The total heating value, expressed in Btu, produced by the combustion, at constant pressure, of the amount of the gas that would occupy a volume of 1 cubic foot at a temperature of 60 degrees F if saturated with water vapor and under a pressure equivalent to that of 30 inches of mercury at 32 degrees F and under standard gravitational force (980.665 cm. per sec. squared) with air of the same temperature and pressure as the gas, when the products of combustion are cooled to the initial temperature of gas and air when the water formed by combustion is condensed to the liquid state. Bulk sales Wholesale sales of gasoline in individual transactions which exceed the size of a truckload. Bulk terminal A facility used primarily for the storage and/or marketing of petroleum products, which has a total bulk storage capacity of 50,000 barrels or more and/or receives petroleum products by tanker, barge, or pipeline. Bump A Well (Bump Down) To lower a sucker-rod string on a pumping unit so that the pump hits bottom on the downstroke. Break Out To unscrew one section of pipe from another section. Bunker fuels Fuel supplied to ships and aircraft, both domestic and foreign, consisting primarily of residual and distillate fuel oil for ships and kerosene-based jet fuel for aircraft. The term "international bunker fuels" is used to denote the consumption of fuel for international transport activities. Note: For the purposes of greenhouse gas emissions inventories, data on emissions from combustion of international bunker fuels are subtracted from national emissions totals. Historically, bunker fuels have meant only ship fuel. Butane Refers usually to a mixture of isobutane and normal butane. A flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon. Used as fuel. Butane (C4H10) A normally gaseous straight-chain or branch-chain hydrocarbon extracted from hydrocarbon extracted from natural gas or refinery gas streams. It includes isobutane and normal butane and is designated in ASTM Specification D1835 and Gas Processors Association Specifications for commercial butane. Butanol Though generally produced from fossil fuels, this four-carbon alcohol can also be produced through bacterial fermentation of alcohol. Butylene (C4H8) An olefinic hydrocarbon recovered from refinery processes. Buy-back oil Crude oil acquired from a host government whereby a portion of the government's ownership interest in the crude oil produced in that country may or should be purchased by the producing firm. Bypass A pipe connected around a valve or other control mechanism in a flow line for the purpose of maintaining flow during adjustments or repair work.