Crude Oil Testing Services & Petroleum Assay

Providing ISO/IEC 17025 accredited Crude Oil Testing Services for refineries, global petroleum traders, and forensic insurance investigations.

Composition, Quality & Forensic Crude Characterization

Crude oil quality varies widely and directly impacts refining routes, product yields, logistics, and trading. AGT Labs provides professional Crude Oil Testing Services to deliver an extensive suite of tests for characterization—from simple custody transfer panels to deep compositional fingerprinting and forensic contaminant analysis.

Our Crude Oil Testing Services support traders, refiners, terminals, and insurers with objective data for acceptance, reconciliation, and process optimization. Typical analyses include API gravity, sulfur and non-volatile residue, odor assessment, refractive index, and electrical conductivity to manage technical and commercial risks across the petroleum value chain.

Stakeholder Value: Producers optimizing wellhead value through our Crude Oil Testing Services, Refiners managing feedstock poison risks, Traders ensuring export compliance, and Insurers requiring forensic source matching.

Accredited Crude Oil Testing Services Highlights

  • Custody & Acceptance Testing (API, Sulfur, Color)
  • Sulfur Speciation & High-Resolution Assays
  • Compositional Hydrocarbon Profiling via GC-FID
  • Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis of Naphtha Fractions
  • Forensic Contaminant & Fingerprinting Analysis
  • Copper Strip Corrosion Screening (ASTM D130)
  • Non-Volatile Residue & Conductivity Assessment

Key Technical Parameters

Accredited analysis supporting our Crude Oil Testing Services suite for upstream, midstream, and trade operations.

API Gravity
ASTM D5002
Sulfur Speciation
ASTM D5623
DHA Profiling
ASTM D8150
Copper Corrosion
ASTM D130
Refractive Index
ASTM D1218
Color Grading
ASTM D1209
Acidity / Acid Value
ASTM D1613
Conductivity
ASTM D2624
Trace Metals
UOP 389
Water Content
ASTM D6304
Appearance
ASTM D4176
Nonvolatile Matter
ASTM D1353

Industries We Serve

Providing precision technical data across the petroleum value chain utilizing our Crude Oil Testing Services.

Crude Traders & Brokers

Independent acceptance testing and dispute resolution data for high-value cargo transfers.

Refineries

Feedstock characterization to optimize product yields and support complex process planning.

Terminals & Pipelines

Ensuring custody transfer integrity, blend verification, and monitoring for batch contamination.

Marine Fuel Purchasers

Technical quality screening (Color, Carbon Residue, Piona) to evaluate supply consistency.

Insurance & Forensic

Deep analytical support for forensic source matching and root-cause contamination investigations.

Pipeline Operators

Monitoring for specification compliance and protecting infrastructure from corrosive crude slates.

Laboratory Capabilities

Analytical Systems

Our Crude Oil Testing Services utilize high-pressure GC, GC-MS, and SimDist systems for boiling-range fingerprinting. Our lab is equipped with ICP-OES/MS for trace metals, Karl Fischer titration for water, and automated viscosity monitoring.

Trade & Forensic Support

  • Custody transfer panels & Dispute workflows
  • Tamper-evident sample handling & Manifesting
  • Statistical chemometrics for source matching
  • Rapid response analytical support for lifts
Analytical lab instruments for crude oil testing services

Light Cycle Oil (LCO) Testing

LCO is a mid-distillate byproduct of the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process, and its highly aromatic, olefinic character makes it one of the most analytically demanding refinery streams to characterize and blend.

Light Cycle Oil exits the FCC unit with a boiling range typically between 200°C and 370°C, overlapping with diesel and distillate fuel oil fractions. However, its elevated aromatic content — often exceeding 60–70% by volume — makes direct blending into on-road diesel technically constrained under ASTM D975 and EN 590 cetane index requirements. Without precise compositional data, LCO blending decisions carry significant compliance and commercial risk.

Our LCO Testing Services quantify the key quality drivers: cetane index and calculated cetane number (CCN) to assess ignition quality, total aromatic content by FIA (ASTM D1319), sulfur speciation for ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) compliance verification, and distillation profile (ASTM D86) for cut-point optimization. Kinematic viscosity, flash point, and cold filter plugging point (CFPP) complete the profile for blending engineers managing winter-grade distillate pools.

LCO is also evaluated as a feedstock for hydrocracking units, carbon black feedstock (CBFS), and marine fuel blending under ISO 8217. Each application demands a distinct analytical panel — our technical team advises on the appropriate test scope based on your downstream processing or commercial requirements.

Key LCO Test Parameters

  • Cetane Index / CCN ASTM D4737
  • Total Aromatics (FIA) ASTM D1319
  • Distillation Profile ASTM D86
  • Total Sulfur ASTM D5453
  • Flash Point ASTM D93
  • Kinematic Viscosity ASTM D445
  • Cold Filter Plugging Point ASTM D6371
  • API Gravity ASTM D4052
  • Carbon Residue ASTM D524
  • Copper Corrosion ASTM D130

Sampling, Handling & Chain of Custody

Precision Crude Oil Testing Services rely on representative sampling from tanks, pipelines, or tanker liftings. We provide guidance for standard protocols and accept high-pressure cylinders or jars with a completed CoC.

Download Chain of Custody Form

Containers & Handling

  • Use clean metal or glass containers; pre-cleaned for trace metals.
  • Record temperature and upstream processing (Desalter, Treater).
  • Split samples for parallel independent testing for trade resolution.

Transport & Logistics

  • Seal with tamper-evident closures and include sample manifests.
  • Expedited shipping for Houston Port and Gulf Coast liftings.
  • Samples recorded and stored per technical requirement for dispute cases.

Quality & Reporting

Reports from our Crude Oil Testing Services include a technical Certificate of Analysis (COA) with method references, results, measurement uncertainty, and interpretive advisory comments.

  • ✓ COA with analyst initials and technical authorized signatory.
  • ✓ Secure PDF delivery and raw instrument file export.
  • ✓ Feedstock routing and processing impact recommendations.
  • ✓ Detailed method logs for forensic investigations.

Standards & Accreditation

AGT Labs is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited (Certificate No. L25-276). We perform Crude Oil Testing Services strictly following international ASTM, IP, and ISO methods.

ASTM D5002
ASTM D5623
ASTM D8150
ASTM D6304
ISO/IEC 17025
UOP 389 (Metals)

Supporting global petroleum trading through traceable technical data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sample volume is required for a full crude panel?
For a comprehensive assay within our Crude Oil Testing Services (including PONA, metals, and water content), we recommend 2–3 Liters to allow for splits and repeats. For basic custody transfer panels, 500 mL–1 L is typically sufficient.
How should samples be split for trade disputes?
Collect multiple split samples at the same point using identical containers and procedures. Seal each with tamper-evident closures and document the chain-of-custody with witness signatures where required for defensible trade data.
Do you perform chemometric fingerprint matching?
Yes, we provide high-resolution GC/GC-MS fingerprinting combined with statistical matching as part of our Crude Oil Testing Services to support source identification and root-cause dispute resolution.
Why is digital density (ASTM D5002) critical?
Digital density is fundamental for determining API gravity. In our Crude Oil Testing Services, this metric establishes the commercial value and classification of the petroleum slate, ensuring accuracy in custody transfer accounting.
Why does LCO require a different test panel than standard crude?
LCO is a processed FCC byproduct, not a raw crude stream. Its defining quality challenges are high aromatic content, low cetane index, and elevated sulfur — parameters critical for diesel blending compliance, hydrocracker feed qualification, and marine fuel specification verification under ISO 8217.

Certify Your Crude Asset

Need reliable accredited Crude Oil Testing Services for Houston operations? Contact our technical team today for a custom assay quote.

Contact Technical Specialist
Scroll to Top