The chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques used to characterize heavy crude oils, although more focused in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as the technique of choice, due to its capability to provide great information on the chemical nature of individual types of proton and carbon atoms in different and complex mixtures of crude oils are described. This review is based on 65 references and describes in a critical and interpretative ways the advantages of the NMR spectroscopy as a main technique to be used in crude oil refining industries that want to characterize crude oil fractions and the obtained refined products. Display omitted ► Chromatogrfaphic and spectroscopic techniques used to characterize heavy crude oils have been reviewed. ► This review describes in a critical and interpretative ways the advantages of the NMR spectroscopy as a main technique to be used in crude oil refining industries. ► The progress in the interpretation of the NMR spectra and of different multivariate data analyses and their potential in the identification and characterization of hydrocarbons and their physical and chemical properties have also been reviewed. The state of the art in the characterization of heavy crude oil mixtures is presented. This characterization can be done by different techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS). Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is the technique of choice due to its capability to provide information on the chemical nature of individual types of hydrogen and carbon atoms in different and complex mixtures of crude oils. The progress made in the interpretation of the NMR spectra with the development of new NMR techniques and different multivariate data analyses could give relevant information about the identification and characterization of hydrocarbons and their physical and chemical properties. These progresses can improve the refining industries operation as a result of the better knowledge on the crude composition that is fed in the refining process, as well as in the prediction of better operating conditions to obtain refined products with desired specifications and in quantities desirable to meet the market demands. The improvement in the refining operation conditions is reflected in economical benefits.