science

Tapis crude

Tapis crude is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tapis crude rather than just read about it. In short: Tapis crude is a Malaysian crude oil used as a pricing benchmark in Singapore. Tapis is very light, with an API gravity of 43°-45°, and very sweet, with only about 0.04% sulfur.

Key takeaways

Tapis crude belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tapis crude to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tapis crude from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tapis crude is a Malaysian crude oil used as a pricing benchmark in Singapore. Tapis is very light, with an API gravity of 43°-45°, and very sweet, with only about 0.04% sulfur. While it is not traded on a market like Brent Crude or West Texas Intermediate (WTI), it is often used as an oil marker or price referencing indicator for Asia and Australia. The price of Tapis in Singapore is often considerably higher than the price of benchmark crude oils such as Brent or West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the more commonly referenced in market commentaries. This is because its lightness (i.e. higher ° API) allows for greater production of higher-value products, such as petrol, than from Brent or WTI. Its high price is also due to the purity of the blend. Its extremely low sulfur content means it requires less refinery processing than sourer crude oils, and hence a lower processing cost. The Tapis field, located off the coast of Terengganu in the South China Sea was discovered in 1969 with production starting in 1978. ExxonMobil holds a 30% stake, the rest being held by state-owned Petronas. As of 2018, production is approximately 300,000 barrels per day.

See also Mean of Platts Singapore, similar regional oil price benchmark

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tapis crude

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tapis crude claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tapis crude before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tapis crude ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tapis crude

In research: Tapis crude appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tapis crude in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tapis crude is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Benchmark crude oils, Petroleum stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tapis crude outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Tapis crude in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tapis crude means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tapis crude out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tapis crude in simple terms?

Tapis crude is a Malaysian crude oil used as a pricing benchmark in Singapore. Tapis is very light, with an API gravity of 43°-45°, and very sweet, with only about 0.04% sulfur.

Why does Tapis crude matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tapis crude?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tapis crude.