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Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00005696

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Carbon Emissions

How much CO2 produced by burning one barrel of oil?

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

How much CO2 produced by burning one barrel of oil?

In: Chemistry [Edit categories] ... Answer:

For the oil

Mineral oil has a density of around 0.8 g/cm3, 'good' crude oil of around 0.8 - 0,83 g/cm3 and 'heavy' crude oil is above 0,92 g/cm3

Crude oil consists (by weight) of 83% to 87% carbon.

One barrel is about 159 liters. Assuming a density of 0,85g/cm3 for our oil we would end up with 135 kg of oil, which contains on the higher end (87% carbon) 118 kg of carbon.

For the carbon dioxide:

  • Carbon Standard atomic weight: 12.0107(+/- 0.00008) g·mol−1
  • Oxygen Standard atomic weight: 15.9994(+/- 0.00003) g·mol−1
Lets say: Carbon = 12 and 2 x Oxygen = 2 x 16 = 32 => Total: 44
(12/44 = 27.27% of Carbon in CO2)
Assuming that all the carbon will find its oxygen to form CO2, that would be 433 kg of carbon dioxide.

With above assumptions:

1 barrel of oil could produce 433 kg of carbon dioxide.
(Ignoring all other side products)

Sources:

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_oil
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crude_oil
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API_gravity#Classifications_or_grades
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