Heavy and extra heavy crudes are called as an opportunity crude. These are very cheap due to its very poor quality and provides the opportunity to earn extra profits. These are used along with normal crude oil which has the benefit of being very cheap. But at the same time processing of Opportunity crude is not an easy task may create fouling and corrosion problems.
In particular, opportunity crudes typically have high levels of naphthenic acids, sulfur, and metals and require more intensive processing to yield high-quality products. These crudes are medium to heavy (15-25° API), TAN > 0.5 mg KOH/g oil and vary considerably in properties, which relates to the high (negative)impact on plant operations and equipment leading to elevated levels of downstream corrosion. The improved desalter operation, chemical and monitoring programs, and constraint analysis can offer ways to mitigate the negative effects of such crude.