Synthetic Crudes are crudes made by upgrading bituminous (e.g. tar sands) or extra heavy crude oils, increasing their value and making them transportable by pipeline without dilution or heating. Unlike naturally occurring bitumen, synthetic crudes are generally excluded from the definition of conventional crude production. However, in the case of Venezuela, heavy crude feedstock normally destined for upgrading units is now counted towards monthly crude supply, in line with market convention and current OPEC quota considerations.

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