TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

DEPOT PARAFFINIQUE [1 record]

Filter results by subject field Alphabetical list of terms

Filter results by subject field

Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 2007-03-27

English

Subject field(s)
  • Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
  • Solid Fossil Fuels
DEF

The paraffin, or sour dirt of the Gulf Coast fields; a yellow, waxy substance resembling beeswax, which has often been regarded as indicating the proximity of an oil or gas reservoir.

CONT

Sometimes the ground above an oil pool is greasy with a substance that oil prospectors call "paraffin dirt." This is mostly the fat-rich bodies of bacteria that prospered for years on trickles of natural gas seeping up through the soil.

OBS

The term paraffin is probably a misnomer, and many have questioned the supposed relationship with petroleum.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Pétroles bruts et dérivés
  • Combustibles fossiles solides
DEF

Substance paraffinique considérée comme un indice pétrolier.

Spanish

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