Organize
Bring crude information from different sources into one technical environment.
Crude assay management Refinery Planning and crude oil data manager
Transform Crude Assay Data into Reliable Engineering Decisions
CUTS converts incomplete, inconsistent, or differently formatted crude oil assays into a complete and internally consistent crude oil characterization.
10°C
Contiguous pseudo-component cuts
Full Range
Complete boiling-range characterization
One Database
Shared source of consistent crude data
Any Fraction
Flexible crude recutting and querying
Introducing CUTS
Crude Assay Management and Characterization Software
refinery scheduling Every refinery decision begins with an understanding of the crude oil being processed. Reliable planning, scheduling, blending, optimization, and simulation depend on accurate and internally consistent assay data.
refinery scheduling CUTS is developed for refinery professionals who need to organize, validate, reconstruct, and apply crude assay information throughout the engineering workflow.
Using proprietary multidimensional regression and advanced data reconciliation, CUTS transforms incomplete or inconsistent laboratory measurements into a coherent, queryable crude assay database.
See how characterization worksReconcile
Resolve gaps, inconsistent formats, and non-uniform laboratory cut points.
Characterize
Represent each crude continuously across its full boiling range.
Apply
Use consistent properties in refinery planning and engineering tools.
Engineering data quality
Why Accurate Crude Assays Matter
Every crude oil is unique. Its processing behaviour, product yields, and product quality depend on how physical and chemical properties are distributed throughout the boiling range.
Different Sources
Assays may originate from laboratories, crude suppliers, published databases, or historical refinery records.
Different Cut Points
Available fractions often use non-standard boiling ranges that cannot be compared directly.
Missing Properties
Important physical or chemical properties may not be reported for every required fraction.
Different Test Methods
TBP, ASTM D86, partial laboratory measurements, and other methods may require reconciliation.
Inconsistent assay data does not stay isolated.
Any inconsistency introduced at the crude assay stage can propagate into feedstock evaluation, blending studies, refinery economics, planning models, and process simulations.
Any fraction
Query properties without being limited to the original assay cut points.
Complete characterization
A Continuous Representation of the Entire Crude
Laboratory assays typically report properties only for selected fractions. CUTS converts these isolated measurements into a continuous and internally consistent model.
The crude is represented as a distribution of pure components and pseudo-components spanning the full boiling range. This allows the properties of virtually any required fraction to be calculated consistently.
- Independent of the original assay reporting format
- Not limited to laboratory cut points
- Suitable for downstream engineering applications
- Shared across multiple refinery departments
Proprietary technology
Multidimensional Regression
Regression identifies relationships in available data and uses those relationships to estimate missing or uncertain values. CUTS evaluates several properties together rather than treating each measurement in isolation.
Analyze Relationships
Evaluate how reported assay properties vary together across the boiling range.
Reconcile Data
Resolve inconsistencies between measurements, cut points, and reporting formats.
Estimate Missing Values
Calculate technically reasonable values supported by the available assay information.
Preserve Natural Trends
Maintain the behaviour of the TBP and reported property curves.
Automatic crude recutting
Create the Fractions Required by Each Engineering Study
Once the crude has been characterized continuously, CUTS can recalculate yields and properties for different fractionation schemes without rebuilding the original assay.
Original Assay
Preserve the original laboratory information and reported fractions.
Continuous Model
Reconstruct the full crude using contiguous pseudo-components.
New Cut Points
Define broad or narrow fractions according to each study’s requirements.
Consistent Results
Calculate yields and properties from the same underlying characterization.
Pseudo-component generation
Detailed 10°C Cuts Across the Full Boiling Range
Crude oil contains thousands of compounds, making direct representation impractical for most refinery models.
CUTS groups hydrocarbons with similar characteristics into contiguous pseudo-components. Each narrow 10°C fraction receives calculated physical and chemical properties.
This provides a practical and computationally efficient description of the crude while preserving property relationships throughout the characterization.
10°C
Narrow boiling fractions
Continuous
Property distributions
Consistent
Engineering inputs
Laboratory data
TBP Distillation and ASTM D86 Data
CUTS interprets laboratory information as a connected technical dataset rather than as unrelated measurements.
TBP Distillation
Describes crude behaviour through the boiling range and provides a basis for continuous fraction characterization.
ASTM D86 Results
Supports interpretation of reported distillation behaviour where assays use different testing methods.
Fraction Properties
Incorporates physical and chemical measurements reported for different petroleum fractions.
Incomplete Data
Reconciles available information to develop the most coherent model supported by the source assay.
Refinery workflows
Applications Across the Refinery
One consistent characterization can support multiple engineering and operational activities.
Refinery Planning
Evaluate crude slates, production plans, and refinery economics using comparable feedstock data.
Refinery Scheduling
Our refinery scheduling solutions optimize crude oil receipts, tank movements, production planning, and processing operations. Improve refinery scheduling efficiency, maximize throughput, reduce operational constraints, and support better day-to-day refinery decision-making.
Crude Blending
Compare and combine crudes using consistent boiling-range and property definitions.
LP Optimization
Supply representative pseudo-component properties for refinery optimization models.
Process Simulation
Prepare consistent feed characterization for CDU and other refinery process models.
Feedstock Evaluation
Compare alternative crude oils and support crude selection using a common technical basis.
Integration with existing tools
One Crude Database for Multiple Engineering Applications
A crude characterization is rarely used in isolation. Planning, scheduling, simulation, blending, and optimization teams may all require the same crude information in different forms.
CUTS provides a common technical foundation so departments do not need to create separate interpretations of the same laboratory assay.
Properties can be prepared for any required fraction, simplifying data exchange between engineering disciplines and downstream tools.
CUTS
Shared Crude Assay Database
Planning
Scheduling
Blending
LP Models
Simulation
Evaluation
Business and engineering benefits
Spend Less Time Preparing Data and More Time Evaluating Decisions
CUTS reduces repeated assay preparation and provides a consistent technical basis for refinery engineering studies.
Improve Planning Accuracy
Work from a complete and internally consistent crude characterization.
Reduce Manual Reconciliation
Minimize time spent checking laboratory reports and estimating missing values.
Increase Engineering Consistency
Use the same technical assumptions across departments and studies.
Accelerate Crude Evaluation
Query properties for the fractions required by each engineering task.
Strengthen Model Inputs
Supply coherent pseudo-component properties to planning and simulation tools.
Support Better Decisions
Reduce uncertainty in crude selection, blending, and operational studies.
Why CUTS is different
More Than a Repository of Laboratory Measurements
Many crude assay systems primarily store and distribute reported laboratory values. CUTS creates a reusable engineering model of the crude.
It combines data reconciliation, continuous characterization, pseudo-component generation, and flexible recutting within one technical workflow.
Proprietary multidimensional regression
Developed specifically for crude assay reconstruction.
Complete boiling-range characterization
Extends beyond the fractions reported in the original assay.
Automatic 10°C pseudo-components
Provides detailed and contiguous property distributions.
Flexible crude recutting
Calculates different fraction schemes from one consistent model.
Queryable crude assay database
Supports multiple engineering uses from a shared foundation.
Frequently asked questions
Understanding CUTS and Crude Assay Management
01 What is crude assay management software?
Crude assay management software helps refineries organize, validate, reconstruct, and apply assay data throughout the engineering workflow. It converts laboratory measurements into a consistent characterization for planning, scheduling, blending, optimization, and simulation.
02 Why are crude oil assays often incomplete?
Assays may come from different laboratories, suppliers, databases, or historical records. They often use different cut points, test methods, units, and property sets.
03 How does CUTS estimate missing properties?
CUTS uses multidimensional regression to evaluate relationships between several reported properties simultaneously. It then creates values that remain consistent with the available assay and the overall property trends.
04 What are pseudo-components?
Pseudo-components are narrow boiling-range fractions used to represent groups of hydrocarbons with similar characteristics. CUTS generates contiguous 10°C cuts across the entire crude.
05 What is crude recutting?
Crude recutting recalculates petroleum fractions using cut points different from those reported in the original assay. CUTS performs this from the continuous characterization without altering the original data.
06 Can CUTS process incomplete laboratory assays?
Yes. CUTS is designed to reconcile incomplete and differently formatted assays. The quality of the resulting model still depends on the quantity and reliability of the available source data.
07 Which refinery activities benefit from CUTS?
Applications include feedstock evaluation, crude selection, refinery planning, scheduling, crude blending, LP optimization, and process simulation.
08 Why is an internally consistent assay important?
Engineering models are only as reliable as their input data. Consistent property relationships reduce conflicting results and improve confidence across planning, simulation, and optimization studies.
Improve crude assay workflows
Build Refinery Decisions on Consistent Crude Data
Discover how CUTS can support crude characterization, planning, optimization, blending, and process simulation in your organization.
Discover the Latest Features and Resources
Check out the latest news, features, benifits, Frequently Asked Questions, and Integration with Existing Tools.
Business and Engineering Benefits
By transforming incomplete or inconsistent crude oil assay information into a complete and internally consistent crude
