Bonny Light Crude Oil
BLCO — Nigeria
A plain-language summary of typical published assay quality for traders, refiners and offtakers
| API Gravity | Sulphur | Grade class | Reference assay |
| 34.9 °API | 0.15 wt% | Light sweet | Jun 2020 |
What this note is
This document turns published Bonny Light assay data into a short briefing a commercial buyer can read in a few minutes. Core whole-crude and TBP figures follow a standard specification (API 34.9, sulphur 0.15 wt%). Cut quality is rounded to the same boiling ranges used in our BLCO note so the two grades can be compared side by side. This is typical quality of the named grade, not a sealed certificate for a live cargo. We always arrange the current official assay, NNPC/NNPCL export spec and inspector’s Q&Q before pricing or processing on order confirmation.
| In one sentence
Bonny Light is Nigeria’s flagship light-sweet export crude: low sulphur, low metals, a large naphtha and middle-distillate yield, and only a small vacuum residue — the opposite profile of a sour medium such as Basrah Medium. |
1. What is BLCO?
Bonny Light Crude Oil is a named Nigerian export stream, loaded from the Bonny terminal and the wider Niger Delta system. “Light” refers to density (API typically in the mid-30s). “Sweet” means sulphur is well below 0.5 wt% — published assays sit around 0.14–0.16 wt%.
Buyers treat BLCO as a gasoline- and distillate-rich Atlantic Basin grade, usually priced against Dated Brent. It is a natural feedstock for hydroskimming and complex refineries that want light products without a heavy hydrotreating or coking bill. NNPCL export specifications typically allow API about 34–37 and water up to 0.2 vol%.
- Origin: Nigeria (Bonny terminal / Niger Delta export network).
- Reference assay used here: TotalEnergies Bonny Light, 18 June 2020.
- Typical cargo: around 950,000 barrels FOB Bonny, subject to terminal programmes.
- Market role: West Africa light-sweet marker versus Dated Brent; often compared with Qua Iboe, Brass River and Escravos.
2. Whole-crude snapshot (what buyers look at first)
These are the numbers that drive the Brent differential, freight, refinery configuration and environmental handling. Figures are typical published assay values.
| Property | Typical assay | What it means for a buyer |
| API gravity @ 60 °F | 34.9 °API | Light crude. More naphtha and distillate, far less residue than BMCO (27.9 °API). |
| Density @ 15 °C | 850 kg/m³ (0.850 kg/L) | Standard metric density. About 7.41 bbl per metric tonne. |
| Specific gravity 60/60 °F | ~0.850 | Used for volume-to-mass conversion on the bill of lading. |
| Sulphur | 0.15 wt% | Sweet. Distillates need only mild hydrotreating versus a 3% sour crude. |
| H2S (liquid) | ~1 mg/kg | Low on the reference assay. Still apply cargo-specific vapour H2S tests at load. |
| Mercaptan sulphur | 15 mg/kg | Low. Light-ends treating duty is modest. |
| Total nitrogen | 0.09 wt% (~900 mg/kg) | Moderate. Manageable for naphtha reformers and distillate hydrotreaters. |
| Total acid number (TAN) | 0.26 mg KOH/g | Low-to-moderate. Not a high-TAN crude; standard metallurgy is usually enough. |
| Pour point | −18 °C | Flows in most climates. Cold-weather logistics are not a constraint. |
| Reid vapour pressure | ~6.5 psig (NNPCL spec max) | Normal tanker / tank-farm vapour control. About 45 kPa. |
| Water (typical / spec) | Low / 0.2 vol% max | NNPCL export spec usually caps water at 0.2 vol%. Confirm on Q&Q. |
| Viscosity @ 50 °C | 3.0 cSt | Very easy to pump. No heating required for normal marine transfer. |
| Micro carbon residue | ~1.2 wt% | Low coke-forming tendency versus sour mediums (BMCO was 7.15 wt%). |
| C7 asphaltenes | ~0.01 wt% | Almost none. Blend-compatibility risk is low. |
| Vanadium | ~0.4–0.5 mg/kg | Very low. Residue is not a V-poison problem. |
| Nickel | ~3.6–4.1 mg/kg | Low. FCC / hydroprocessing catalyst impact is small. |
| Iron | ~2.6 mg/kg | Low on the reference assay. |
3. How the barrel splits — product yields
Yields below are aligned to the same TBP cut points as the BMCO briefing so buyers can compare the two grades directly. They are interpolated from the June 2020 TBP curve (not a laboratory D2892/D5236 campaign on one sealed can). Mass % is what a refinery mass-balance uses; volume % is closer to how cargoes are discussed commercially.
| Cut | Boiling range | Mass % | Volume % |
| Gas / LPG | C1–C4 (to ~15 °C) | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Naphtha | 15 – 175 °C | 23.7 | 27.2 |
| Kerosene / jet-range | 175 – 250 °C | 14.6 | 14.9 |
| Gas oil / diesel-range | 250 – 343 °C | 23.6 | 22.9 |
| Vacuum gas oil (VGO) | 343 – 540 °C | 28.6 | 26.1 |
| Atmospheric residue | 343 °C+ | 36.7 | 33.0 |
| Vacuum residue | 540 °C+ | 8.1 | 6.8 |
How to read the yield slate
- Light ends are still modest (about 1.4 wt% LPG), but naphtha is the story: ~24 wt% / ~27 vol% versus ~16 wt% on BMCO.
- Middle distillates (kero + gas oil) total about 38 wt%. That is a strong jet / diesel barrel for a West African light sweet.
- VGO remains a useful FCC / hydrocracker block (~29 wt%), and it is sweet (around 0.27 wt% S on a 375–550 °C cut).
- Vacuum residue is only ~8 wt% (versus ~29.5 wt% on BMCO). Bottoms are not the value trap on this grade.
4. Cut-by-cut quality (for product planners)
LPG / light ends (~1.4 wt%)
On the June 2020 assay the C3–C4 slate is roughly propane 0.3 wt%, i-butane 0.4 wt% and n-butane 0.7 wt%, with ethane negligible. Commercial LPG recovery exists but is not why refiners buy BLCO. The value sits in naphtha and distillates.
Naphtha (15–175 °C) — ~23.7 wt% / ~27.2 vol%
| Property | Typical result |
| Combined density @ 15 °C | ~745 kg/m³ |
| Sulphur | ~0.00–0.01 wt% |
| Mercaptan sulphur | ~4–11 mg/kg |
| Light naphtha 15–80 °C yield | 6.1 wt% / 7.7 vol% |
| Heavy naphtha 80–175 °C yield | 17.8 wt% / 19.5 vol% |
| Light naphtha RON / MON (15–65 °C) | 78.8 / 77.6 clear |
| Heavy naphtha naphthenes / aromatics | ~54 / ~14 vol% |
Buyer takeaway: a large, very sweet naphtha pool. Light naphtha is a high-RON isomerisation / gasoline blendstock. Heavy naphtha is naphthenic enough to be a solid reformer feed. Treating duty is light compared with Middle East sour naphthas.
Kerosene (175–250 °C) — ~14.6 wt% / ~14.9 vol%
| Property | Typical result (150–250 °C cut) |
| Density @ 15 °C | 824 kg/m³ |
| Sulphur | 0.03 wt% |
| Smoke point | 22 mm |
| Freezing point | about −56 °C |
| Aromatics | ~19 vol% |
| Acidity | 0.01 mg KOH/g |
| Viscosity @ 50 °C | 1.1 cSt |
| Cetane index (wide kero cut) | ~36 |
Buyer takeaway: freeze point is comfortably inside Jet A-1 territory and sulphur is already near finished-jet levels. Smoke point around 22 mm is usable but not premium; a mild hydrotreater still improves smoke point and aromatics. This is one of the reasons BLCO is liked by jet-oriented Atlantic refiners.
Gas oil (250–343 °C) — ~23.6 wt% / ~22.9 vol%
| Property | Typical result |
| Density / API (260–340 °C cut) | ~0.87 kg/L / ~30.6 °API |
| Sulphur (230–375 °C cut) | ~0.14 wt% |
| Nitrogen (atm. gas oil) | ~90 mg/kg |
| Cetane quality | Good starting point for ULSD after mild HDT |
Buyer takeaway: a large, relatively sweet diesel-range cut. Sulphur is two orders of magnitude below BMCO gas oil (1.96 wt%). Making 10 ppm ULSD is a mild-hydrotreating job, not a deep-HDS project.
Vacuum gas oil (343–540 °C) — ~28.6 wt% / ~26.1 vol%
| Property | Typical result (375–550 °C cut) |
| Yield of 375–550 °C cut | 21.8 wt% / 19.8 vol% |
| Density @ 15 °C | 936 kg/m³ |
| Sulphur | 0.27 wt% |
| Conradson carbon | ~0.2 wt% |
| Aniline point (wider VGO) | ~79–80 °C |
Buyer takeaway: sweet, low-carbon VGO. Many refiners can send a cut this clean toward FCC with only modest hydrotreating. That is a different world from BMCO VGO at 3.74 wt% sulphur.
Residues — small, and still relatively clean
| Property | 343 °C+ | 540 °C+ | Whole crude | Unit |
| Yield (TBP) | ~36.7 | ~8.1 | 100 | wt% |
| Yield (TBP) | ~33.0 | ~6.8 | 100 | vol% |
| Density @ 15 °C | 955* | 1015* | 850 | kg/m³ |
| Sulphur | 0.33* | 0.51* | 0.15 | wt% |
| Conradson carbon | 3.8* | 14.3* | ~1.2 | wt% |
| TAN | 0.6* | 0.3* | 0.26 | mg KOH/g |
| Pour point | 14* | 64* | −18 | °C |
| Vanadium | 2* | 7* | ~0.5 | mg/kg |
| Nickel | 12* | 48* | ~3.6 | mg/kg |
| Viscosity @ 100 °C | 24* | 1,290* | — | cSt |
* Residue quality rows use the published 375 °C+ and 550 °C+ cuts, which sit next to our 343 °C+ / 540 °C+ yield cuts. Directionally they describe the same bottoms.
Buyer takeaway: vacuum residue is a small slice of the barrel and still only about 0.5 wt% sulphur with low metals. It can go to fuel oil, bitumen extender or a small coker — it does not dominate the netback the way BMCO 540 °C+ residue does.
5. Contaminants and metals — why BLCO is “easy”
Metals and heteroatoms decide catalyst bills. On Bonny Light they barely show up.
| Item | Typical BLCO | Buyer implication |
| Vanadium | ~0.5 mg/kg | Negligible versus BMCO at 52 mg/kg. Residue is not a V-problem. |
| Nickel | ~4 mg/kg | Low. FCC and resid-hydrotreater catalyst life is protected. |
| Sulphur | 0.15 wt% | Sweet. Hydrogen and catalyst opex stay low. |
| Asphaltenes (C7) | ~0.01 wt% | Excellent blend compatibility with other light sweets. |
| TAN | 0.26 mg KOH/g | Low-to-moderate. Not an opportunity-crude corrosion case. |
| Salt / water | Spec-controlled | Confirm BS&W and salt on the load Q&Q; Niger Delta cargoes can pick up water. |
6. Who this crude is (and is not) for
A good fit if you…
- Want gasoline, naphtha and jet/diesel without building a residue-conversion complex.
- Run a hydroskimming or mildly complex Atlantic / West African / European refinery.
- Need a sweet blender to cut sulphur or metals in a sour basket.
- Can lift FOB Bonny and manage West Africa freight, security and terminal windows.
A poor fit if you…
- Are a coking refinery that makes money on cheap, heavy, high-carbon residue — BLCO does not give you that feedstock.
- Need a high-asphalt or high-fuel-oil yield. Vacuum residue is only about 7–8 wt%.
- Cannot accept West Africa logistics, cargo-size conventions or Dated Brent-linked pricing.
7. BLCO versus BMCO — one-page comparison
| Theme | BLCO (this note) | BMCO (FCA/1562/22) |
| Class | Light sweet, Nigeria | Sour medium, Iraq |
| API | 34.9 °API | 27.9 °API |
| Sulphur | 0.15 wt% | 3.38 wt% |
| TAN | 0.26 mg KOH/g | 0.20 mg KOH/g |
| Naphtha 15–175 °C | ~24 wt% | 15.8 wt% |
| Kero + gas oil | ~38 wt% | 24.8 wt% |
| Vacuum residue 540 °C+ | ~8 wt% | 29.5 wt% |
| Vanadium | ~0.5 mg/kg | 52 mg/kg |
| Best home | Gasoline / jet hydroskimmer | Complex + coker / RHCU |
8. Handling, logistics and quality notes
- The crude is easy to pump (about 3 cSt at 50 °C) and pours at −18 °C. Heating is not a design issue.
- NNPCL technical specs commonly quoted to buyers: API about 34–37, sulphur ~0.14 wt%, water 0.2 vol% max, pour point below 40 °F, RVP 6.52 psig max, colour dark brown.
- Insist on independent Q&Q (SGS, Saybolt, Intertek or equivalent) tied to the bill of lading. West African cargo quality can move with field mix and water pickup.
- On the June 2020 TBP curve, 50% is recovered near 280–300 °C and about 92 wt% is boiled off by 540 °C — consistent with a light, low-residue crude.
9. Source and limits of this note
Whole-crude density, API, sulphur, TAN, viscosity, pour point, nitrogen, mercaptans, H2S and the TBP curve are taken from the TotalEnergies Bonny Light assay dated 18 June 2020. Cut properties use that assay’s published TBP cuts (15–80, 80–175, 150–250, 230–375, 375–550, 375 °C+ and 550 °C+). Yields at 175 / 250 / 343 / 540 °C are interpolated from that curve so this note lines up with the BMCO briefing. Supporting whole-crude metals and MCR are consistent with other public Bonny Light assay sheets (Ni ~4 mg/kg, V ~0.4–0.5 mg/kg, MCR ~1.2 wt%).
An assay describes one sampled quality of a named grade. Bonny Light can move with field mix, terminal blend and cargo contamination. Use this note to understand the grade. Use the current official assay, NNPCL specification and inspector’s report to buy the cargo.
Document control
Prepared for buyer briefing only. Not a substitute for a full laboratory report, a sales-contract specification, or independent inspection.
