Basrah Medium Crude Oil
BMCO — Iraq
A plain-language summary of the official crude assay for traders, refiners and offtakers
| API Gravity | Sulphur | Grade class | Assay date |
| 27.9 °API | 3.38 wt% | Sour medium | 17 Sep 2022 |
What this note is
This document turns a laboratory crude-oil assay into a short briefing that a commercial buyer can read in a few minutes. Numbers come from Intertek Caleb Brett report on a Basrah Medium cargo dated 17 September 2022, analysed for the client of Ametheus Holdings Pvt Ltd. It is a snapshot of that cargo, not a live specification. On the confirmed order we can arrange the latest official assay and cargo quality certificate for pricing, blending or processing.
| In one sentence
Basrah Medium is a sour, medium-gravity Iraqi crude with a large heavy-residue yield, high vanadium and nickel in the bottoms, and useful middle-distillate and VGO cuts for a complex refinery. |
1. What is BMCO?
Basrah Medium Crude Oil is a well-known Iraqi export grade, typically loaded from southern Iraq. “Medium” refers to density (API around the high 20s). “Sour” means sulphur is well above 0.5 wt% — this cargo measured 3.38 wt% sulphur.
Buyers use BMCO as a feedstock for complex refineries that can desulphurise distillates and convert vacuum residue (coking, visbreaking, residue hydrocracking or asphalt). Simple topping refineries generally find the sulphur and residue yield expensive to handle.
- Origin: Iraq (sample received via Intertek Iraq).
- Laboratory: Intertek Fujairah FZC; report issued 7 December 2022.
- Sample: 8 × 1-gallon metal cans; no seals recorded; H2S in vapour < 5 ppm vol.
- Condition on receipt: liquid at room temperature; water 0.025 vol%.
2. Whole-crude snapshot (what buyers look at first)
These are the numbers that drive freight, pricing differentials, refinery configuration and environmental handling.
| Property | This cargo | What it means for a buyer |
| API gravity @ 60 °F | 27.9 °API | Medium crude. Heavier than Brent/WTI light sweet; more residue, less gasoline. |
| Specific gravity 60/60 °F | 0.8873 | Density used for volume-to-mass conversion in contracts and bills of lading. |
| Density @ 15 °C | 0.8868 kg/L | Standard metric density for tank gauging and customs. |
| Sulphur | 3.38 wt% | Sour. Distillates need hydrotreating. High-S fuel oil / residue needs conversion or IMO-compliant blending. |
| H2S (liquid) | < 1 mg/kg | Low dissolved H2S in this sample. Still treat vapour space as sour until cargo-specific tests confirm. |
| Mercaptan sulphur | 61 mg/kg | Light odorous sulphur species; relevant for naphtha treating and copper-strip / doctor tests. |
| Total nitrogen | 1,200 mg/kg | Moderate-high. Affects hydrotreater catalyst life and FCC NOx precursors. |
| Total acid number (TAN) | 0.20 mg KOH/g | Low acidity. Not a high-TAN crude; limited naphthenic-acid corrosion risk. |
| Pour point (upper) | < −33 °C | Flows easily in most climates. Cold-weather handling is not a constraint. |
| Reid vapour pressure | 35.3 kPa | Moderate RVP. Normal tanker / tank-farm vapour control applies. |
| Water | 0.025 vol% | Dry. Well within typical crude-purchase water limits. |
| Water & sediment (BS&W) | 0.08 vol% | Clean cargo on this assay. Confirm on the actual bill of lading. |
| Salt as NaCl | 37.3 mg/kg | Low salt. Desalter duty should be straightforward. |
| Viscosity @ 40 °C | 15.07 cSt | Pumpable at ambient in most terminals; heat if needed for pipeline specs. |
| C7 asphaltenes | 2.6 wt% | Moderate. Watch compatibility if blending with paraffinic crudes. |
| Micro carbon residue (MCR) | 7.15 wt% | High Conradson-type carbon. Residue is coke-forming; good coker / RFCC feed after metals check. |
| Vanadium | 52 mg/kg | Elevated. Concentrates in residue; poisons FCC / hydroprocessing catalysts. |
| Nickel | 13 mg/kg | Elevated with V. Typical of Middle East sour residue. |
| Mercury | < 1 µg/kg | Not a mercury-problem crude on this test. |
3. How the barrel splits — product yields
Yields are the first thing a refiner models. Figures below are True Boiling Point (TBP) cuts by ASTM D2892 (atmospheric) and ASTM D5236 (vacuum). Mass % is what the refinery mass-balance uses; volume % is closer to how cargoes are often discussed commercially.
| Cut | Boiling range | Mass % | Volume % |
| Gas / LPG | C1–C4 (to 15 °C) | 0.90 | 1.52 |
| Naphtha | 15 – 175 °C | 15.78 | 19.47 |
| Kerosene / jet-range | 175 – 250 °C | 10.72 | 11.87 |
| Gas oil / diesel-range | 250 – 343 °C | 14.08 | 14.74 |
| Vacuum gas oil (VGO) | 343 – 540 °C | 29.03 | 27.59 |
| Atmospheric residue | 343 °C+ | 58.52 | 52.40 |
| Vacuum residue | 540 °C+ | 29.49 | 24.81 |
How to read the yield slate
- Light ends are small. LPG yield is under 1 wt%. This is not a light, gassy crude.
- Naphtha is a solid ~16 wt% / ~19.5 vol%. Paraffinic and low-sulphur relative to the whole crude — a reformer / steam-cracker candidate after treating.
- Middle distillates (kero + gas oil) total about 25 wt%. Useful, but both cuts carry sulphur and need hydrotreating for jet / ULSD.
- VGO is the largest single distillate block (~29 wt%). This is the FCC / hydrocracker heart of the barrel.
- Vacuum residue is ~29.5 wt% and very heavy (2.6 °API). Value sits in coking, residue hydrocracking, asphalt or high-S fuel blending — not in straight-run fuel oil under IMO 0.50% S without conversion or cutter stock.
4. Cut-by-cut quality (for product planners)
LPG / light ends (0.90 wt%)
The gas cut is propane- and butane-rich: propane 47.4 wt%, n-butane 32.8 wt%, i-butane 11.4 wt%, ethane 6.8 wt%. Density of the cut is 0.5145 kg/L. Commercial LPG recovery from BMCO is modest because the whole-crude light-end yield is small.
Naphtha (15–175 °C) — 15.78 wt% / 19.47 vol%
| Property | Result |
| Density @ 15 °C | 0.7191 kg/L |
| Sulphur | 0.0572 wt% (572 ppm) |
| Mercaptan sulphur | 36 mg/kg |
| Nitrogen | < 1 mg/kg |
| TAN | < 0.02 mg KOH/g |
| Paraffins / naphthenes / aromatics | 74.5 / 13.5 / 11.8 wt% |
| Olefins | 0.15 wt% |
| Pour point | < −45 °C |
Buyer takeaway: a paraffinic, low-nitrogen naphtha. Sulphur is already much lower than the whole crude but still needs treating for gasoline or petrochemical use. High n-paraffin content (about 38 wt% of the cut) is attractive for steam cracking. Reforming octane potential is moderate because aromatics start at only ~12 wt%.
Kerosene (175–250 °C) — 10.72 wt% / 11.87 vol%
| Property | Result |
| API / density @ 15 °C | 45.0 °API / 0.8015 kg/L |
| Sulphur | 0.421 wt% |
| Smoke point | 24 mm |
| Freezing point | −45 °C |
| Aromatics (FIA) | 17.4 vol% |
| Aniline point | 63.6 °C |
| Viscosity @ 40 °C | 1.377 cSt |
Buyer takeaway: freeze point and smoke point are in a workable jet-fuel region, but sulphur at 0.42 wt% is far above Jet A-1 (max 0.30 wt%, and many airlines want far less). This cut is a hydrotreater feed, not a finished jet pool without treating.
Gas oil (250–343 °C) — 14.08 wt% / 14.74 vol%
| Property | Result |
| API / density @ 15 °C | 35.7 °API / 0.8459 kg/L |
| Sulphur | 1.96 wt% |
| Nitrogen / basic nitrogen | 85 / 42 mg/kg |
| Pour point | −12 °C |
| Aniline point | 67.6 °C |
| Viscosity @ 40 °C | 3.866 cSt |
| Mono / di / tri+ aromatics | 15.0 / 12.6 / 2.7 wt% |
| Polyaromatics | 15.3 wt% |
Buyer takeaway: a classic sour straight-run diesel cut. Density and viscosity sit inside automotive diesel ranges, but 1.96 wt% sulphur and significant di-/poly-aromatics mean deep hydrotreating (and often dewaxing or kerosene blending) to make 10 ppm ULSD.
Vacuum gas oil (343–540 °C) — 29.03 wt% / 27.59 vol%
| Property | Result |
| API / density @ 15 °C | 20 °API / 0.9338 kg/L |
| Sulphur | 3.74 wt% |
| Total / basic nitrogen | 920 / 270 mg/kg |
| Pour point | 36 °C |
| Aniline point | 87.4 °C |
| Viscosity @ 100 °C | 7.276 cSt |
| Micro carbon residue | 0.24 wt% |
Buyer takeaway: a heavy, sour VGO. MCR is low for a 540 °C endpoint, which is favourable for FCC after hydrotreating. Nitrogen and sulphur are high enough that most complex refiners will hydrotreat this cut before the cat cracker. Pour point of 36 °C means the cut is waxy and will be solid-ish in a cool tank — heat tracing is normal.
Residues — where most of the sulphur and metals sit
| Property | 343 °C+ | 540 °C+ | Whole crude | Unit |
| Yield | 58.52 | 29.49 | 100 | wt% |
| API gravity | 11.2 | 2.6 | 27.9 | °API |
| Density @ 15 °C | 0.991 | 1.0544 | 0.8868 | kg/L |
| Sulphur | 5.18 | 6.54 | 3.38 | wt% |
| MCR | 12.2 | 24.1 | 7.15 | wt% |
| C7 asphaltenes | 4.7 | 9.4 | 2.6 | wt% |
| TAN | 0.25 | 0.40 | 0.20 | mg KOH/g |
| Pour point | 12 | 78 | < −33 | °C |
| Vanadium | 95 | 174 | 52 | mg/kg |
| Nickel | 23 | 45 | 13 | mg/kg |
| Viscosity @ 100 °C | 73.25 | 7,296 | — | cSt |
| Hydrogen content | 10.9 | 10.0 | 12.2 | wt% |
Buyer takeaway: vacuum residue is extra-heavy, very sour, metal-rich and extremely viscous (about 7,300 cSt at 100 °C). It is a delayed-coker / residue-hydrocracker / asphalt feedstock, not a finished marine fuel without conversion or large volumes of cutter stock. Atmospheric residue (343 °C+) is still pumpable with heat (73 cSt at 100 °C) and is the typical visbreaker / fuel-oil blend base.
5. Contaminants and metals — the “hidden” cost
Metals and heteroatoms do not show up in the API number, but they decide catalyst bills and residue value.
| Item | Whole crude | Buyer implication |
| Vanadium | 52 mg/kg | High for a medium crude. Will concentrate ~3× in vacuum residue (174 mg/kg). |
| Nickel | 13 mg/kg | Paired with V. FCC and resid hydrotreater catalyst poison. |
| Iron | 1 mg/kg | Low. Not a dirty-iron cargo on this assay. |
| Sodium | 10 mg/kg | Modest. Combined with 37 mg/kg salt — desalter should cope. |
| Total nitrogen | 1,200 mg/kg | Rises to 3,100 mg/kg in 540 °C+ residue. |
| Asphaltenes (C7) | 2.6 wt% | Compatibility risk if blended with highly paraffinic crudes or condensates. |
6. Who this crude is (and is not) for
A good fit if you…
- Run a complex refinery with hydrotreating, FCC and/or hydrocracking, plus a coker or residue-conversion unit.
- Want a reliable sour-medium feedstock with a large VGO pool.
- Can place vacuum residue into coke, bitumen or high-S industrial fuel.
- Need a crude that pours easily and arrives reasonably dry and low-salt.
A poor fit if you…
- Operate a simple hydroskimming refinery without residue conversion — the 29 wt% vacuum residue and 3.4 wt% sulphur will trap value.
- Need a sweet, light barrel for gasoline-max or petrochemical-max without heavy investment in treating.
- Are blending for IMO 0.50% S marine fuel without a conversion unit or a large sweet cutter-stock pool.
7. Quick comparison card
| Theme | This BMCO cargo | Typical buyer action |
| Gravity | Medium (27.9 °API) | Price vs. Dubai / Oman / Basrah Light differentials |
| Sulphur | Sour (3.38 wt%) | Budget hydrotreating hydrogen and catalyst |
| Acidity | Low TAN (0.20) | Standard metallurgy is usually sufficient |
| Flow | Pour point < −33 °C | No special cold-flow logistics |
| Light products | Modest naphtha, small LPG | Do not buy this grade for light-ends yield |
| Middle distillates | ~25 wt% kero + GO | Good volume, must be hydrotreated |
| Conversion feed | Large sour VGO | Core value for FCC / MHC |
| Bottoms | Heavy, high V+Ni, high MCR | Needs coker / RHCU / asphalt outlet |
8. Handling and quality notes from the lab
- Sample was liquid at ambient. Whole-crude viscosity 15.07 cSt at 40 °C and 10.25 cSt at 50 °C — routine pumping.
- Vapour-phase H2S on the original cans was reported < 5 ppm vol. Still apply sour-crude ship and terminal procedures until a cargo-specific H2S certificate is in hand.
- No seals were recorded on the cans received by the laboratory. For a commercial purchase, insist on sealed, witnessed samples tied to the bill of lading.
- Simulated distillation IBP of the whole crude is 34.5 °C; 50% recovered at about 407 °C; 70% at about 557 °C — consistent with a residue-heavy medium sour.
9. Source and limits of this note
All figures are taken from Intertek Caleb Brett Crude Oil Assay Report No. FCA/1562/22, issued 7 December 2022, on “Basrah Medium Crude – Dated 17-09-22”. Distillation followed ASTM D2892 (15-theoretical-plate column) and ASTM D5236 (vacuum pot still).
An assay describes one sampled parcel. Basrah Medium quality can move with field mix, blend ratio versus Basrah Heavy / Light, and cargo contamination. Use this note to understand the grade. Use the current official assay, inspector’s report and quality certificate to buy the cargo.
Document control
Prepared for buyer briefing only. Not a substitute for the full laboratory report, a sales contract specification, or independent inspection.
