API gravity refers to a measurement index developed by the American Petroleum Institute which describes how heavy or light crude oil is in relation to water.
API gravity is the standard approach in the oil industry for measuring crude oil density, which is expressed in degrees API.
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The API gravity of water is 10 degrees.
If the oil’s API gravity is above 10 degrees, it is considered “light” and will float on water.
If the API gravity is less than 10 degrees, the oil is “heavy” and will sink.
API gravity decreases as the density of the compound being measured increases.
For example, the API gravity of naphtha is about 50 degrees API, but the API gravity of asphalt is around 11 degrees API.
API gravity affects how much oil is worth because high-API, light oil will produce a higher yield of gasoline or diesel when it is refined.
Therefore, the higher the API number the better quality the crude oil.
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