Petroleum is a naturally occurring, complex mixture of hydrocarbons which may be gas, liquid, or solid,
depending upon its own unique composition and the temperature and pressure at which it is confined in
geologic formations beneath the earth surface. The crude petroleum is a major feedstock for wide range
of petrochemicals, but it is far more important to present human civilization as a fuel to meet the
world’s primary energy requirements. The high energy density, low cost and convenience of use in
comparison to other fuels make petroleum one of the world’s most important commodities. Crude
petroleum in its raw form is of not much use. By adopting various refining processes, crude petroleum is
fractionated in different streams in the order of increasing boiling ranges. This third volume of the
series includes articles on both upstream and downstream processing of crude petroleum. Articles on
characterization of depositional units and clay minerals for petroleum exploration and reservoir
evaluation; Stochastic approach for petroleum reserve and resource estimation; Fluid flow partitioning
in fractured porous media; Characterization of crude oil by PVT analysis; Well bore stability and Impact
of water salinity on the production well yield cover the issues related to upstream processing. Oil spills
can have serious detrimental effects on marine animals and plants living in the path of the oil spill and
communities reliant on the ocean for food and tourism. Two articles on oil spill on sea water and
utilization of cellulosic biomass for mopping this oil discuss this important issue. On downstream side,
the volume includes articles on fluid catalytic cracking; use of clays as catalysts in refining;
hydrodesulphurization and biodesulphurization of fuel; traditional and modern approaches for
characterization of complex mixtures; processing of opportunity crude oil and advances in catalytic
hydroprocessing of heavy petroleum feeds. Application of carbon nanotubes and membrane separation technology for wastewater treatment also finds place in this volume. The 28 articles in this volume have
been delivered by 57 senior academicians, researchers and experienced industry professionals from
different parts of the world. The publishers do hope that this scholarly series will prove to be a valuable
resource to students, researchers, academicians and industry professionals involved in this vast field.