Product

Mumbai High crude (formerly called Bombay High crude) is a light, low-sulfur crude oil produced from the Mumbai High offshore oilfield located 160 km off the west coast of Mumbai in the Gulf of Cambay, India, at approximately 75 meters water depth.

Key Characteristics

Physical Properties

• API Gravity: 39.99-40.77° (extra light crude)​
• Specific Gravity: 0.8214-0.8251 (@60/60°F)​
• Sulfur Content: 1,334-1,400 ppm (0.13-0.14 wt%) - classified as sweet crude​
• Nitrogen Content: 400-561 ppm​
• Salt Content: 3.6 mg/l​
• Pour Point: ~30°C

Composition

• Paraffinic content: >60% (significantly higher than Middle Eastern crudes like Light Arabian at ~25%)​
• Waxy nature: High wax content requiring special handling during transportation​
• Hydrocarbon distribution: n-alkanes ranging from C11 to C36 with maximum abundance between C20-C28

Quality Classification

• Grade: Light, sweet crude oil
• Quality assessment: Considered very good quality compared to Middle Eastern crudes due to high paraffinic content and low sulfur​
• Origin: Tertiary carbonate reservoir with predominantly terrestrial organic matter (Type II/III kerogen mix) deposited under suboxic conditions

Reservoir & Production

The crude is produced from a carbonate reservoir with the main producing zone (L-III) consisting of sedimentary cycles at approximately 1,355 meters depth. The Mumbai High field has been producing since 1976 and currently yields approximately 134,000-135,000 barrels per day as of 2024, operated by ONGC.

Refining Implications

The light, sweet, highly paraffinic nature of Mumbai High crude makes it:

• An excellent feedstock for gasoline and middle distillate production
• Suitable for lube base oil manufacturing due to high paraffinic content
• Relatively easy to process with lower conversion requirements

References

1. SCRIBD. Bombay High Crude Oil Specifications 2017
2. Wikipedia. Mumbai High Field
3. van Engelen G.P. et al. (Dec 1, 1981). Study of flow improvers for transportation of Bombay High crude oil through submarine pipelines. Journal of Petroleum Technology (JPT), 2539. DOI: 10.2118/5467-PA
4. Jena, S. K., & Dutta, S. (2018). PaperID AU170: Biomarker Characterization of Crude Oils from Basement Reservoirs, East of Bombay High, Western Offshore - India. GEOIndia 2018
5. Satyanaryana et al. (2010). Hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Basement of Mumbai High Field. 8th Biennial International Conference & Exposition on Petroleum Geophysics
6. Energyworld.com (Jan 30, 2026). IEW 2026: ONGC stabilises output from mature fields; Mumbai High adds up to 4,000 bpd with BP support