Aquifer

Water-bearing rock strata. In a water-drive oil/gas fields, the aquifer is the water zone of the reservoir.

ARA Range

A term used to denote the Amsterdam/Rotterdam/Antwerp area for de- livery and trading of oil products on the spot market or for good delivery of gas oil under the IPE gas oil futures contract.

Archimedes Principle

When a body is totally or partially immersed in a fluid, the apparent loss in weight is equal to the weight of the displaced fluid.

Area survey:

A method of bottom relief survey consisting of surveying overlapping strips which allow soundings to be obtained with a specified accuracy at any position of the under survey.

Areometer

An instrument for measuring the specific gravity of liquids, a hydrometer.

Aromatic

The term used to describe organic compounds that contain one or more on unsaturated ring structures with delocialised electrons, e.g. benzene (C6H6).

Artificial lift

When a well is unable to flow naturally at the desired production rate, additional energy has to be put into it gas lift or pumping

Asphalt

See bitumen.

Assay

The procedure for determining the chemical composition, distillation characteristics and physical data relating to a particular crude oil. Barrel Standard oil industry measure of volume. One barrel is equivalent to 35 Imperial Gallons or 42 US Gallons.

Assets

Property, inventory or stock, plant, money, etc. owned by a company.

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