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GLOSSARY
Bottomhole shut-in: A well shut in slightly above the producing
formation by use of special downhole tools containing a valve
that can be preprogrammed or controlled from the surface; this
practice is commonly associated with drillstem tests; technology exists to employ bottomhole shut-in in suitably equipped
completed wells.
Bottoming cycle: A cogeneration system in which steam is used
first for process heat and then for electric power production.
British thermal unit - (Btu): A non-metric unit of heat, still widely
used by engineers; One Btu is the heat energy needed to raise
the temperature of one pound of water from 60°F to 61 °F at one
atmosphere pressure. 1 Btu = 1055 joules (1.055 kj).
Bunker: A storage tank.
Butanol: Though generally produced from fossil fuels, this fourcarbon alcohol can also be produced through bacterial fermentation of alcohol.
C
C t , C 2 , C y C 4 , C 5 fractions: a common way of representing fractions
containing a preponderance of hydrocarbons having 1, 2, 3, 4,
or 5 carbon atoms, respectively, and without reference to hydrocarbon type.
Carbon dioxide (C0 2 ): A product of combustion that acts as a
greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere, trapping heat and
contributing to climate change.
Carbonization: The conversion of an organic compound into char
or coke by heat in the substantial absence of air; often used
in reference to the destructive distillation (with simultaneous
removal of distillate) of coal.
Carbon monoxide (CO): A lethal gas produced by incomplete
combustion of carbon-containing fuels in internal combustion
engines. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. (As in flavorless,
we mean, though it's also been known to tell a bad joke or two.)
Carbon sink: A geographical area whose vegetation and/or soil
soaks up significant carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Such
areas, typically in tropical regions, are increasingly being sacrificed for energy crop production.
Catalyst: A substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without
itself being affected or consumed. In refining, catalysts are used
in the cracking process to produce blending components for
fuels.
GLOSSARY
Bottomhole shut-in: A well shut in slightly above the producing
formation by use of special downhole tools containing a valve
that can be preprogrammed or controlled from the surface; this
practice is commonly associated with drillstem tests; technology exists to employ bottomhole shut-in in suitably equipped
completed wells.
Bottoming cycle: A cogeneration system in which steam is used
first for process heat and then for electric power production.
British thermal unit - (Btu): A non-metric unit of heat, still widely
used by engineers; One Btu is the heat energy needed to raise
the temperature of one pound of water from 60°F to 61 °F at one
atmosphere pressure. 1 Btu = 1055 joules (1.055 kj).
Bunker: A storage tank.
Butanol: Though generally produced from fossil fuels, this fourcarbon alcohol can also be produced through bacterial fermentation of alcohol.
C
C t , C 2 , C y C 4 , C 5 fractions: a common way of representing fractions
containing a preponderance of hydrocarbons having 1, 2, 3, 4,
or 5 carbon atoms, respectively, and without reference to hydrocarbon type.
Carbon dioxide (C0 2 ): A product of combustion that acts as a
greenhouse gas in the Earth's atmosphere, trapping heat and
contributing to climate change.
Carbonization: The conversion of an organic compound into char
or coke by heat in the substantial absence of air; often used
in reference to the destructive distillation (with simultaneous
removal of distillate) of coal.
Carbon monoxide (CO): A lethal gas produced by incomplete
combustion of carbon-containing fuels in internal combustion
engines. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. (As in flavorless,
we mean, though it's also been known to tell a bad joke or two.)
Carbon sink: A geographical area whose vegetation and/or soil
soaks up significant carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Such
areas, typically in tropical regions, are increasingly being sacrificed for energy crop production.
Catalyst: A substance that accelerates a chemical reaction without
itself being affected or consumed. In refining, catalysts are used
in the cracking process to produce blending components for
fuels.