| Calandria |
| A cylindrical reactor vessel that contains the heavy water moderator in a CANDU reactor. Hundreds of tubes extend from one end of the calandria to the other, containing the uranium fuel and the pressurized high-temperature coolant. The reactor core consists of all the components within the calandria. |
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| CANDU |
| The Canadian nuclear reactor system, moderated by heavy water (deuterium) and fuelled by natural uranium. The name is derived from CANada, Deuterium and Uranium. |
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| Cap Gas |
| Natural gas trapped in the upper part of a reservoir and remaining separate from any crude oil, salt water or other liquids in the well. |
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| Capability |
| The maximum electrical energy a system can supply under specified conditions in a given time interval. Energy capability is the product of capacity and time, and is expressed in kilowatt-hours, or some multiple thereof. |
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| Capacity, Electrical |
The load for which a generating unit, generating station, or other electrical apparatus is rated, as stated usually by the manufacturer's nameplate rating. Sometimes used synonymously with capability. Types of capacity:
dependable The load-carrying ability for the period specified when related to the characteristics of the load to be supplied. The dependable capacity of a station is determined by such factors as capability, operating power factor, and the portion of a given load which the station is to supply.
peaking Generating units or stations which are available to assist in meeting that portion of peak load which is above base load.
purchase The amount of firm power available for purchase from a source outside the system to supply energy or reserve capacity.
reserve Capacity maintained within a system to meet unusual demand or to operate when normal units are undergoing maintenance. Reserve capacity is classified according to status:
cold - Theremal generating units available for service but not maintained at operating temperature.
hot - Thermal generating units available, up to temperature and ready for service, but not actually in operation.
spinning - Generating units in operation and ready to take load. |
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| Capacity Factor |
| The ratio of the average load on a machine or equipment for the period of time considered to be the capacity rating of that machine or equipment. |
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| Capital |
| Short and long-term debt, including capital lease obligations, plus total shareholders' equity. |
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| Capital Ratio |
| Applies to banks and trust companies. Year-end assets divided by year-end total equity (capital plus reserves). A low capital ratio is good. It indicates that a higher proportion of the company's assets are financed by shareholders' equity and reserves (as opposed to debt or deposits), which would make the company stronger in an economic downturn. |
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| Capital Spending |
| Amount spent on acquisition of fixed assets (equipment and machinery) and subsidiaries during the year, less government grants received. Shows the extent to which a company is replacing its fixed assets. By doing so, a company helps to ensure that it will have sufficient productive capacity in the future. |
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| Capped Well |
| A well capable of production but lacking wellhead installations and a pipeline connection. |
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| Capping |
| Closing in a well to prevent the escape of gas. |
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| Capture Rate |
| The proportion of new customers selecting a particular fuel to meet their energy requirements. |
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| Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Flooding |
| A tertiary crude oil recovery process in which carbon dioxide is injected in the reservoir under conditions which result in the mixing of the injected fluid and the reservoir fluid, making the fluid more viscous and pumpable. |
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| Carbon Monoxide Emissions |
| Colourless, odourless, toxic gas released into the air when carbon molecules are burned incompletely. All forms of fossil fuel combustion emit carbon oxides. |
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| Cash Flow |
| Income before extraordinary items plus non-cash revenues (such as equity income). Cash flow shows how much money is available for such things as the purchase of fixed assets, retirement of debt and payment of dividends. |
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| Casing String |
| Steel pipe, threaded together and cemented into a well as drilling progresses to prevent the wall of the hole caving in during drilling and to provide a means of extracting oil/gas if the well is productive. |
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| Catalytic Cracking |
| A petroleum refining process for breaking down heavy molecules in reduced crudes or other feedstocks. The feedstock is treated in a large vessel at high temperature and pressure in the presence of a catalyst. "Cat" cracking is a development of the older method of thermal cracking, which employs only heat and pressure. Catalytic cracking is generally preferred because it produces less gas and other highly volatile by-products. It produces a motor fuel of higher octane (by up to 15 MON) than the thermal process, and is more efficient in the production of iso-paraffins and aromatics, both of which have desirable anti-knock properties. |
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| Catalytic Reforming |
| The use of controlled heat and pressure with catalysts, to cause cracking and isomerization of the hydrocarbon molecules in low octane petroleum fractions. The hydrocarbons formed are lower in molecule weight, somewhat more branched and somewhat unsaturated, and so have higher octane numbers. Other types of reforming exist, such as hydroforming. |
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| Cetane Number |
| A numerical index designed to reflect the ignition quality of diesel fuels. The cetane number reflects the percentage of cetane in cetane/x-methyl naphthalene blend equal in ignition quality to a specific sample of tested diesel fuel. |
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| Chemi-thermo-mechanical Pulping |
| Same as Thermo-mechanical pulping but with chemicals being added to the chips to further refine the pulp by removing the lignin. |
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| Chemical Flooding |
| An enhanced recovery process in which water, with added chemicals, is injected into an oil reservoir to increase recovery. |
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| Christmas Tree |
| The assembly of fittings and valves on the top of the casing which control the production rate of oil. |
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| CIF |
| Literally, "cost, insurance, freight," this term refers to a sale in which the buyer agrees to pay a unit price that includes the free-on-board value of the goods at the port of origin, plus all costs for insurance and transportation. This type of transaction differs from a "delivered" agreement in that it generally does not include duty, and the buyer accepts the quantity and quality at the loading port (as certified by the Bill of Lading and Quality Analysis Report), rather than pay according to quantity/quality as determined at the loading port. Risk and title are transferred from the seller to the buyer at the loading port, although the seller is obliged to provide insurance (usually FPA type) in a transferable policy at the time of loading. It is similar to an fob transaction, except that the seller, as a service for which he is compensated, arranges for transportation and insurance. |
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| Circulate |
| To permit the drilling fluid to go down through the drill string and well bore while drilling operations are temporarily suspended. This is done to condition the hole and the well bore before drilling continues, in order to prevent friction between the metal walls of the hole and the casing (that is, prevent metal rubbing against metal.) |
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| City Gate Price |
| The unit price charged by a transmission company for natural gas transported via pipeline to a distribution company in a particular city or area. |
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| Clean Cargo |
| A product that leaves little residue in the holds of a tanker. Kerosene, gasoline, jet fuel and middle distillates are clean cargoes; heavy oil is not. |
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| Cloud Point |
| The temperature at which wax begins to crystallize in a given sample of middle distillate, giving it a cloudy appearance. The cloud point is higher than the pour point, but wax will clog fuel filters at temperatures below the cloud point, so the latter is an important specification for diesel fuel, especially during winter. |
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| Coal Benefication |
| A method of improving the quality of coal prior to combustion, for example, by washing it. |
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| Coal Gasification |
| The chemical conversion of coal to synthetic gaseous fuels. |
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| Coal Liquefaction |
The chemical conversion of coal to synthetic liquid fuels. The conversion may be either direct or indirect:
direct A process by which liquid fuels are produced from the interaction of coal and hydrogen at high temperature and pressure.
indirect A process in which coal is first converted to synthetic gas, then catalyzed to produce hydrocarbons or methanol. Additional processing can convert methanol to gasoline. |
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| Coal Slurry Pipeline |
| A pipeline used to transport coal over long distances after mixing the crushed coal with water or some other fluid. |
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| Coal Washing |
| The process of cleaning coal with water and certain additives before burning it, to remove some of the impurities. Most impurities tend to be heavier than coal and sink to the bottom of the water mixture, so the clean coal can be skimmed off. |
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| Coalbed Methane (CBM) |
| Natural gas trapped in coal seams. |
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| Cogeneration |
| An energy conversion system producing both electricity and process steam or steam for heating with a resultant overall improvement in conversion efficiency. It usually involves increasing the temperature and/or pressure of steam required for process use, extracting part of the heat for electricity production and discharging the remainder at appropriate conditions for process requirements. |
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| Coking |
| In petroleum refining, a relatively severe thermal cracking process designed to completely convert residual oils into gases, naphtha, gas-oil and coke. The gas-oil fraction is usually the major product obtained from coking, and is used primarily as catalytic cracker feedstock. The coke obtained from the process is usually consumed as fuel, although there are a number of specialized products made from coke, such as electrode raw material, chemicals and metallurgical coke. These latter products require further processing of the basic petroleum coke obtained from this process. There are several different coking processes employed commercially, including delayed coking, fluid coking and Fexicoking. |
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| Coking Coal |
| Coal which meets specific processibility criteria and which has a sufficiently low percentage of contaminants for the production of metallurgical coke, essential to the manufacture of steal. |
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| Collector, Solar |
| A solar collector or absorber is used to gather solar radiation. In the process, the radiation undergoes a change in its energy spectrum and is converted to heat. |
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| Commercial Field |
| An oil and/or gas field judged to be capable of producing enough net income
to make it worth developing. |
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| Commercial In-Service Date |
| The date at which a new unit has completed its testing and is turned over to operating staff for normal system operation. |
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| Common Carrier |
| A company or individual licensed by government to operate bulk transportation services for hire. Some pipeline companies are common carriers, others carry only products that they have previously purchased and intend to resell. |
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| Completed Well |
| A well made ready to produce oil or natural gas. Completion involves cleaning out the well, running steel casing and tubing into the hole, adding peermanent surface control eqipment and perforating the casing so oil or gas can flow into the well and be brought to the surface. |
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| Completion |
| The installation of permanent wellhead equipment for the production of oil and
gas. |
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| Condensate |
| Hydrocarbons which are in the gaseous state under reservoir conditions and which
become liquid when temperature or pressure is reduced. A mixture of pentanes
and heavier hydrocarbons. |
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| Consumer Tankwagon Price |
| The delivered price of petroleum products sold to the end-user. |
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| Containment |
| The structures, within and including the reactor building, designed to prevent any material that may escape from a nuclear reactor from reaching the outside environment. The reactor containment usually employs steel and thick concrete. |
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| Continuous Casting |
| A process that directly casts molten steel in a primary mill into smaller and thinner sections without the need for reheating steel ingots. |
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| Contract |
| In oil industry usage, an agreement, often bilateral, to supply petroleum of a given specification for an agreed-upon term at an agreed-upon unit price. Although all commercial transactions are finalized in writing and have the legal force of a contract, the term "contract" in general industry usage serves to distinguish a long-term supply arrangement from a one-time, or "spot" transaction. |
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| Conventional Areas |
| In the petroleum industry, those areas with a long history of hydrocarbon production. Conventional areas are also referred to as non-frontier areas. |
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| Conventional Fuels |
| This phrase usually refers to the more common fossil fuels: coal, petroleum and natural gas. |
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| Conventional Oil |
| Crude oil recoverable from a well using standard production techniques. |
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| Conventional Sources of Energy |
| This phrase usually refers to oil, gas, coal, hydro-electricity and sometimes uranium, as opposed to alternative sources such as solar energy, geothermal energy, synthetic fuels, various forms of biomass energy, etc. |
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| Conversion Rate |
| Percentage of existing customers switching from one fuel to another over a given period of time. This term is also used loosely to refer to the capability of a petroleum refinery to produce light fuels (such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuels) from crude oil. |
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| Coolant, Reactor |
| A liquid or gas circulated through the core of a reactor to extract the heat of the fission process in a CANDU reactor, this is heavy water. |
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| Core |
| The central part of a nuclear reactor, containing the fuel rods, moderator and control rods. The nuclear fission reactions take place and the resultant heat is generated within the core. The term also refers to samples of subsurface rocks taken out as an oil or gas well is being drilled. |
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| Coring |
| Taking rock samples from a well by means of a special tool (core barrel). The result of the coring operation is to sample and discover what is the type of formation in which the well is located, and whether the cores will show any traces of oil. |
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| Cracking |
Name for the refinery process of breaking down heavier, larger, and more complex hydrocarbon molecules into lighter and simpler ones. Cracking is employed primarily to increase gasoline and other light product yields, and is accomplished in several ways:
thermal cracking A process employing only heat and pressure. Coking is a relatively severe cracking process.
catalytic cracking A process employing heat and pressure in the presence of a catalyst. In a refinery, fluid catalytic cracking produces high-octane "cat" gasoline, light fuel oils (called "cycle stocks") and olefin-rich light gases from atmospheric and vacuum gas-oils and heavy fractions.
hydrocracking A very severe process employing heat and pressure in the presence of hydrogen and catalysts. Hydrocracking is a highly versatile process which can convert any fraction of crude oil to a lighter product with most contaminants removed.
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| Crude Bitumen |
| Very heavy crude oil or tar consisting of a nuturally occurring viscous mixture, mainly of hydro-carbons heavier than pentane, that may contain sulfur compounds and other minerals, and that in its natural viscous state is not recoverable at a commercial rate through a well. |
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| Crude Oil |
| Liquid petroleum as it comes out of ground, the primary feedstock of a petroleum refinery (subject to quality grading and commensurate price variations). No two crudes are exactly alike. They range from very light (high in gasoline fractions) to very heavy (high in residual oil and asphalt fractions). Sour crude is high in sulfur content. Sweet crude is low in sulfur: this makes it easier to process and therefore often more valuable. |
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| Crude Oil and Equivalent |
| Sometimes referred to as "crude oil and equivalent hydrocarbons," this group includes crude oil, synthetic crude oil produced from oil sands, and pentanes plus. |
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| Crude Oil Distillation |
| The first process in a petroleum refinery, in which crude oil is separated into fractions according to boiling point. The crude is boiled at atmospheric pressure, and the vapour rises through a distillation column. Its components (or fractions) are drawn off as they condense in the tower. Also call atmospheric distillation. |
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| Crude Oil Equivalent |
| A measure of energy content in which a quantity of a given fuel or energy form is converted into the quantity of crude oil with equivalent energy content. |
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| Cumulative Production |
| Production of oil or gas to date. |
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| Current |
| A flow of electricity in a conductor. Current is measured in amperes. |
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| Cushion |
| In discussions of natural gas, this refers to the effect of low-cost, price-controlled gas. |
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| Cuttings |
| Rock chips cut from the formation by the drill bit, and brought to the surface
with the mud. Used by geologists to obtain formation data. |
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| Cycling Gas Pool |
| A natural gas pool into which part or all of the produced natural gas in reinjected, after the removal of natural gas liquids in a gas processing plant. |
