Classifications or grades Generally speaking 40 to 45 API gravity degree oils have a greatest commercial price and values outside this range have lower commercial price. Above 45 degrees API gravity the molecular chains become shorter and less valuable to a refinery.
Crude oil is classified as light, medium or heavy, according to its measured API gravity.
Light crude oil is defined as having an API gravity higher than 31.1 °API
Medium oil is defined as having an API gravity between 22.3 °API and 31.1 °API
Heavy oil is defined as having an API gravity below 22.3 °API.
Not all parties use the same grading.[1] The US Geological Society uses slightly different definitions at [2] Simply put, bitumen sinks in fresh water, while oil floats.
Oil which will not flow at normal temperatures or without dilution is named bitumen and the API gravity is generally less than 10 °API. Bitumen derived from the oil sands deposits in the Alberta, Canada area has an API gravity of around 8 °API. It is 'upgraded' to an API gravity of 31 °API to 33 °API and the upgraded oil is known as synthetic crude.
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