As defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), heavy oil is a type of crude oil characterized by an asphaltic, dense, viscous nature (similar to molasses), and its asphaltene (very large molecules ...
At-a-Glance: Heavy oil is a dense, viscous petroleum fluid (typically 10–22 °API) enriched in resins/asphaltenes with low gas content, formed when originally lighter oils are altered after charge by ...