Effects of biodegradation on diamondoid distribution in crude oils from the Bongor Basin,Chad

The sensitivity of biodegradation on diamondoids was investigated using a series of biodegraded oil samples from the Ronier tectonic unit of Bongor Basin,Chad.The results suggest that diamondoids,including adamantanes(As)and diamantanes(Ds),are relatively resistant to biodegradation and obvious biodegradation was observed in oils with a Peters-Moldowan(PM)biodegradation rank of 6 or more.Overall,the sensibility of biodegradation on diamondoids is generally similar to hopanes and regular steranes.As biodegradation evolves,the changes in concentration and components of diamondoids show that the biodegradation process is selective and stepwise.The significant increase of MD/MA and DMD/DMA for oils with a PM ranking 6^(+) indicates that diamantanes are generally more resistant to biodegradation than adamantanes.The similar trends of DMA/MA,EA/MA,MD/D,DMD/MD and other relevant indexes,show that higher alkylation homologs are more resistant to biodegradation.The commonly used diamondoid ratios,such as MAI,EAI,MDI and DMID-1,are obviously affected by biodegradation at the stage of high-level biodegradation,which may indicate that these ratios should be used with caution in case of severely degraded oils.

Heavy Metal Levels and Ecological Risk in Crude Oil-Contaminated Soils from Okpare-Olomu, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Crude oil spills have inflicted extensive disruption upon the Niger Delta ecosystem, resulting in crop loss and severe environmental damage. Such spills exacerbate heavy metal concentration within soil due to the presence of metallic ions. The Okpare-Olomu community has borne the brunt of crude oil pollution from illicit bunkering, sabotage, and equipment malfunction. This study targets an evaluation of ecological hazards linked to heavy metals (HMs) in crude oil impacted agriculturally soils within Okpare-Olomu in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State. In this study, 24 topsoil samples were obtained from areas affected by crude oil pollution;the heavy metal content was evaluated through atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration ranges for HMs (mg/kg) in soil were: 24.1 - 23,174 (Cu);0.54 - 37.1 (Cd);9.05 - 54 (Cr);12 - 174 (Ni);18.5 - 8611 (Pb);and 148 - 9078 (Zn) at a soil depth of 0 - 15 cm. Notably, metal concentrations were recorded to be above permissible World Health Organization limits. Predominantly, Zn and Pb recorded higher heavy metal concentration when compared to other heavy metals analysed, notably at sampling points PT7 through PT24. Zinc and Pb contamination exhibited highly significant contamination factors, and contamination severity was evidenced across all sample points, signifying a grave risk level. Pollution load indices indicated pervasive extreme pollution levels. Geoaccumulation indices signaled moderate to strong pollution, mainly by Pb and Zn. Ecological risk assessments revealed variable levels of heavy metal contamination, from low to very high, with potential ecological risk reflecting markedly elevated levels. This study underscores the imperative for soil remediation to rectify ecological imbalances in agriculturally affected soil constituents.

The organic geochemistry of crude oil in the Saltpond Basin(Ghana):Organic source input,depositional environment,and thermal maturity

The Saltpond Basin,situated within the South Atlantic margin of Ghana,is a significant area for petro-leum exploration but has received relatively limited research attention.Previous studies have examined source rock com-position,but data on crude oil organic chemistry are lack-ing,hindering understanding of the basin’s petroleum system and evolution.To address this gap,we analyzed biomarkers and stable carbon-isotope ratios in Saltpond Basin crude oil using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–isotope ratio mass spectrometry to eluci-date organic matter source,depositional environment,and thermal maturity.Findings were compared with oils from the West African segment of the South Atlantic margin,namely the Tano Basin and the Niger Delta Basin,to iden-tify potential correlations and gain insights into regional variations.Molecular and isotopic results unveiled a sig-nificant prevalence of organic matter derived from lower marine organisms.Patterns of organic matter deposition and preservation in Saltpond oil samples suggested a suboxic marine transitional environment,contradicting conventional understanding of terrestrial dominance in such settings.Moreover,the potential for degradation processes to obscure differentiation between terrestrial and marine organic mat-ter origins underscores the complex nature of organic mat-ter dynamics in transitional marine environments.Analysis of molecular thermal maturity indices suggested Saltpond oils were expelled from source rocks exhibiting thermal maturity at the early maturity stage.Correlation analysis unveiled genetic disparities among crude oils sourced from the Saltpond Basin and those from the Tano and Niger Delta Basin,primarily due to variations in source input and depo-sitional environment conditions.Saltpond oil exhibits lower terrestrial organic input than Tano Basin’s crude oils,which also have less terrestrial input than Niger Delta Basin crude oils.Additionally,its paleodepositional environment nota-bly differs from oils in the Tano Basin(anoxic transitional marine-lacustrine settings)and the Niger Delta Basin(sub-oxic–oxic terrigenous deltaic or marine or lacustrine envi-ronments).Thermal maturity range of Saltpond oil is com-parable to oils in the Tano Basin but lower than oils in the Niger Delta Basin.Thesefindings provide valuable insights into petroleum generation history and unique organic geo-chemical characteristics within the Saltpond Basin,essen-tial for exploration,production,and environmental manage-ment efforts in the region.Furthermore,correlation studies provide evidence that distinct biological,geological,and paleoenvironmental conditions shaped various oil types in the West African segment of the South Atlantic margin.

Data-driven Wasserstein distributionally robust chance-constrained optimization for crude oil scheduling under uncertainty

Crude oil scheduling optimization is an effective method to enhance the economic benefits of oil refining.But uncertainties,including uncertain demands of crude distillation units(CDUs),might make the production plans made by the traditional deterministic optimization models infeasible.A data-driven Wasserstein distributionally robust chance-constrained(WDRCC)optimization approach is proposed in this paper to deal with demand uncertainty in crude oil scheduling.First,a new deterministic crude oil scheduling optimization model is developed as the basis of this approach.The Wasserstein distance is then used to build ambiguity sets from historical data to describe the possible realizations of probability distributions of uncertain demands.A cross-validation method is advanced to choose suitable radii for these ambiguity sets.The deterministic model is reformulated as a WDRCC optimization model for crude oil scheduling to guarantee the demand constraints hold with a desired high probability even in the worst situation in ambiguity sets.The proposed WDRCC model is transferred into an equivalent conditional value-at-risk representation and further derived as a mixed-integer nonlinear programming counterpart.Industrial case studies from a real-world refinery are conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.Out-of-sample tests demonstrate that the solution of the WDRCC model is more robust than those of the deterministic model and the chance-constrained model.

Performance Evaluation of the Halophilic Crude Oildegrading Bacterial Consortium XH-1 for Oilfield Wastewater Treatment

A total of 14 halophilic hydrocarbon-degrading strains were isolated from crude oil-contaminated sites,using petroleum as the sole carbon and energy source.Among these,four highly efficient strains were selected to create the mixed bacterial agent XH-1.These four strains were identified through 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing as belonging to Acinetobacter,Bacillus paramycoides,Rhodococcus sp.,and Enterobacter sp.,respectively.The optimal cultivation time for the mixed consortium XH-1 was found to be 48 h,and a nitrogen-phosphorus molar ratio of 10:1 was determined to be beneficial for crude oil degradation.XH-1 showed notable crude oil degradation even at a salinity of up to 30 g/L,with little inhibition observed at sulfide concentrations as high as 150 mg/L and initial oil concentrations of 500 mg/L.Gas chromatography analysis revealed that XH-1 was able to efficiently degrade C9–C29 n-alkanes.Moreover,a bio-contact oxidation reactor enhanced by XH-1 showed promising results in treating oilfield wastewater.These findings suggest that XH-1 can be applied for the treatment of oilfield wastewater.

Research on a TOPSIS energy efficiency evaluation system for crude oil gathering and transportation systems based on a GA-BP neural network

As the main link of ground engineering,crude oil gathering and transportation systems require huge energy consumption and complex structures.It is necessary to establish an energy efficiency evaluation system for crude oil gathering and transportation systems and identify the energy efficiency gaps.In this paper,the energy efficiency evaluation system of the crude oil gathering and transportation system in an oilfield in western China is established.Combined with the big data analysis method,the GA-BP neural network is used to establish the energy efficiency index prediction model for crude oil gathering and transportation systems.The comprehensive energy consumption,gas consumption,power consumption,energy utilization rate,heat utilization rate,and power utilization rate of crude oil gathering and transportation systems are predicted.Considering the efficiency and unit consumption index of the crude oil gathering and transportation system,the energy efficiency evaluation system of the crude oil gathering and transportation system is established based on a game theory combined weighting method and TOPSIS evaluation method,and the subjective weight is determined by the triangular fuzzy analytic hierarchy process.The entropy weight method determines the objective weight,and the combined weight of game theory combines subjectivity with objectivity to comprehensively evaluate the comprehensive energy efficiency of crude oil gathering and transportation systems and their subsystems.Finally,the weak links in energy utilization are identified,and energy conservation and consumption reduction are improved.The above research provides technical support for the green,efficient and intelligent development of crude oil gathering and transportation systems.

Prediction Model of Wax Deposition Rate in Waxy Crude Oil Pipelines by Elman Neural Network Based on Improved Reptile Search Algorithm

A hard problem that hinders the movement of waxy crude oil is wax deposition in oil pipelines.To ensure the safe operation of crude oil pipelines,an accurate model must be developed to predict the rate of wax deposition in crude oil pipelines.Aiming at the shortcomings of the ENN prediction model,which easily falls into the local minimum value and weak generalization ability in the implementation process,an optimized ENN prediction model based on the IRSA is proposed.The validity of the new model was confirmed by the accurate prediction of two sets of experimental data on wax deposition in crude oil pipelines.The two groups of crude oil wax deposition rate case prediction results showed that the average absolute percentage errors of IRSA-ENN prediction models is 0.5476% and 0.7831%,respectively.Additionally,it shows a higher prediction accuracy compared to the ENN prediction model.In fact,the new model established by using the IRSA to optimize ENN can optimize the initial weights and thresholds in the prediction process,which can overcome the shortcomings of the ENN prediction model,such as weak generalization ability and tendency to fall into the local minimum value,so that it has the advantages of strong implementation and high prediction accuracy.

Optimization of Diesel and Crude Oil Degradation in a Ghanaian Soil Using Organic Wastes as Amendment

Soil contamination by hydrocarbons poses numerous environmental, health and agricultural problems. The degradation of these pollutants can occur naturally but very slowly. It is therefore generally necessary to stimulate this degradation by different means. Thus, this study aimed to improve the bio-degradation of diesel and crude oil in a Ghanaian soil by biostimulation. For this, the sampled soil was characterized by standard methods and contaminated with diesel and crude oil at a proportion of 1% (w/w). Then, contaminated soil samples were supplemented with biochar-compost, poultry manure or cow dung at the proportion of 10% (w/w). Periodically, fractions of these samples were taken to evaluate the density of hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) and the residual quantities of diesel or crude oil. The characteristics of the soil used show the need for supplementation for better degradation of hydrocarbons. The results of the study show that supplementing the soil with organic substrates increases HUB loads in soils contaminated by diesel and crude oil. They also show that the residual quantities of diesel and crude oil are generally significantly lower in supplemented soils (p = 0.048 and p < 0.0001 respectively). In addition, the study shows that degradation was generally greater in soils contaminated by diesel compared to those contaminated by crude oil, especially at the end of the study.

Improving Supply Chain Strategies towards Mitigating the Effect of Crude Oil Theft and Pipeline Vandalism in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: A Case Study of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

Generically, SCM may be said to include all activities carried out to ensure proper functioning of the supply chain. The activities included in proper management of a supply chain broadly include logistics activities, planning and control of the flow of information and materials in a firm, management of relationships with other organizations and government intervention, However, crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism are established products supply chain disruptors in Nigeria which are rendering the task of running an efficient petroleum supply chain onerous. This paper aims to establish the importance of effective supply chain strategies for companies in the oil and gas industry with special focus on the Nigerian oil and gas sector and the strategies by which the state oil and gas corporation in this sector may mitigate disruptions to its supply chain. This study investigates the enhancement of supply chain strategies towards meeting the challenge of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, using the Nigerian National Corporation (NNPC) as a case study. Based on this study, data were collected from two sources: A summary of incident reports obtained from NNPC and an interview with personnel in the PPMC Department. Incident report refers to a report produced when accidents such as equipment failure, injury, loss of life, or fire occur at the work site. Content analysis is utilized to evaluate data obtained from interview responses, CBN financial stability reports, NDIC annual reports, circulars, banking supervision reports and implementation guidelines. The study found out that NNPC should endeavor to sustain its value chain and ward of pipeline vandals and crude oil thieves by engaging in community partnership, detailing security outfits to ensure its pipelines’ right of way and bridging. Concluded that the oil supply chain of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has been plagued by disruptions in the form of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism which has had debilitating effects on its value.

Pre-heating temperature induced flowability and wax deposition characteristics of crude oil adding wax inhibitors

This paper investigated the effects of pre-heating treatment temperatures(T_(pre))on the flowability and wax deposition characteristics of a typical waxy crude oil after adding wax inhibitors.It is found that there is little difference in wax precipitation exothermic characteristics of crude oils at different T_(pre),as well as the wax crystal solubility coefficient in the temperature range of 25-30℃.For the undoped crude oil,the flowability after wax precipitation gets much improved and the wax deposition is alleviated as T_(pre)increasing.At T_(pre)=50℃,the viscosity and wax deposition rate of crude oil adding wax inhibitors are higher than those of the undoped crude oil.When the T_(pre)increases to 60,70,and 80℃,the flowability of the doped crude oil are largely improved and the wax deposition is suppressed with the T_(pre)increase,but the wax content of wax deposit increases gradually.It is speculated that,on the one hand,the T_(pre)increase helps the dispersion of asphaltenes into smaller sizes,which facilitates the co-crystallization with paraffin waxes and generates more aggregated wax crystal flocs.This weakens the low-temperature gel structure and increases the solid concentration required for the crosslink to form the wax deposit.On the other hand,the decrease in viscosity increases the diffusion rate of wax molecules and accelerates the aging of wax deposits.The experimental results have important guiding significance for the pipeline transportation of doped crude oils.

Molecular composition of naphthenic acids in a Chinese heavy crude oil and their impacts on oil viscosity

Most heavy crude oils underwent biodegradation and generated a significant amount of naphthenic acids. Naphthenic acids are polar compounds with the carboxylic group and are considered as a major factor affecting the oil viscosity. However, the relationship between the molecular composition of naphthenic acids and oil viscosity is not well understood. This study examined a “clean” heavy oil with low contents of heteroatoms but had a high content of naphthenic acids. Naphthenic acids were fractionated by distillation and caustic extraction. The molecular composition was characterized by high-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry. It was found that the 2- and 3-ring naphthenic monoacids with 15–35 carbon atoms are dominant components of the acid fractions;the caustic extraction is capable of isolating naphthenic acids with less than 35 carbons, which is equivalent to the upper limit of the distillable components, but not those in the residue fraction;the total acid number of the heavy distillates is higher than that of the residue fraction;the viscosity of the distillation fraction increases exponentially with an increased boiling point of the distillates. Blending experiments indicates that there is a strong correlation between the oil viscosity and acids content, although the acid content is only a few percent of the total oil.

Rheo-optic in situ synchronous study on the gelation behaviour and mechanism of waxy crude oil emulsions

An improved rheo-optic in situ synchronous measurement system was employed to investigate the gelation behaviour and mechanism of waxy crude oil emulsions. By combining transmitted natural light and reflected polarized light microscopy, a multiangle composite light source was built to achieve the simultaneous observation of wax crystals and emulsified water droplets, as well as their dynamic aggregation process. Main outcomes on the microscopic mechanism were obtained by developed microscopic image processing method. It was found that the microstructure of W/O waxy crude oil emulsion has the evolution of “individual structure--homogeneous aggregate structure--heterogeneous coaggregate structure--floc structure” during the static cooling, which results in the four stages during gelation process. Different from previous studies, the aggregation of emulsified water droplets was found to be more significant and contributes to the formation and development of the wax crystals-emulsified water droplets coaggregate, which plays a decisive role in the further evolution of the gelled microstructure. Time series microscopic images show the dynamic aggregation of emulsified water droplets and wax crystals. Two different aggregation behaviours between wax crystals and water droplets were observed. That wax crystals can not only embed in gaps between adjacent water droplets and enhance the structure, but also surround the outside of the water droplets and continue to grow resulting in the interconnection of different coaggregates to form a larger floc structure. In addition, correlation between viscoelasticity and microstructure evolution of waxy crude oil emulsions of different water contents was discussed. With increasing water contents, the microstructure is changed from wax crystal flocculation structure as the main skeleton and the emulsified water droplets embedded in it, into the aggregation of emulsified water droplets occupying the main position. When the number of wax crystals and water droplets reaches a certain ratio, did wax crystals form coaggregates with emulsified water droplets, and the remaining wax crystals formed an overall flocculation structure, the viscoelasticity of the waxy crude oil emulsion is the highest.

The effect of slight to minor biodegradation on C_6 to C_7 light hydrocarbons in crude oils: a case study from Dawanqi Oilfield in the Tarim Basin,NW China

Light hydrocarbons （LHs） are one of the main petroleum fractions in crude oils, and carry much infor- mation regarding the genetic origin and alteration of crude oils. But secondary alterations--especially biodegrada- tion--have a significant effect on the composition of LHs in crude oils. Because most of the LHs affected in oils underwent only slight biodegradation （rank 1 on the biodegradation scale）, the variation of LHs can be used to describe more the refined features of biodegradation. Here, 23 crude oils from the Dawanqi Oilfield in the Tarim Basin, NW China, eleven of which have been biodegraded to different extents, were analyzed in order to investigate the effect of slight to minor biodegradation on C6--C7 LHs. The study results showed that biodegradation resulted in the prior depletion of straight-chained alkanes, followed by branched alkanes. In slight and minor biodegraded oils, such biodegradation scale could not sufficiently affect C6- C7 cycloalkanes. For branched C6--C7 alkanes, generally, monomethylalkanes are biodegraded earlier than dimethylalkanes and trimethylalkanes, which indicates that branched alkanes are more resistant to biodegradation, with the increase of substituted methyl groups on parent rings. The degree of alkylation is one of the primary controlling factors on the biodegradation of C6-Cv LHs. There is a particular case： although 2,2,3-trimethylbutane has a rela- tive higher alkylation degree, 2,2-dimethylpentane is more resistant to biodegradation than 2,2,3-trimethylbutane. 2,2- Dimethylpentane is the most resistant to biodegradation in branched C6-C7 alkanes. Furthermore, the 2-methylpen- tane/3-methylpentane and 2-methylhexane/3-methylhexane ratios decreased steadily with increasing biodegradation, which implies that isomers of bilateral methyl groups are more prone to bacterial attack relative to mid-chain iso- mers. The position of the alkyls on the carbon skeleton is also one of the critical factors controlling the rate of biodegradation. With increasing biodegradation, Mango＇s LH parameters K1 values decrease and K2 values increase, the values of n-heptane and isoheptane decrease, and the indices of methylcyclohexane and cyclohexane increase. LH parameters should be applied cautiously for the biodegraded oils. Because biodegraded samples belong to slight or minor biodegraded oils, the values of n-heptane and isoheptane from Dawanqi Oilfield can better reflect and determine the ＂Biodegraded＂ zone. When the heptane value is 0-21 and the isoheptane value is 0-2.6, the crude oil in Dawanqi Oilfield is defined as the ＂Biodegraded＂ zone

Chemical composition of essential oils and in vitro antioxidant activity of fresh and dry leaves crude extracts of medicinal plant of Lactuca Sativa L.native to sultanate of Oman

Objective:To isolate and analyse the chemical composition in the essential oils and free radical scavenging activity of different crude extracts from the fresh and dry leaves of vegetable plants of Lactuca sativa L.(L.sativa).Methods:The essential oils and volatile chemical constituents were isolated from the fresh and dry leaves of L.sativa(lettuce)grown in Sultanate of Oman by hydro distillation method.The antioxidant activity of the crude extracts was carried out by well established free radical scavenging activity(DPPH)method.Results:About 20 chemical compounds of different concentration representing 83.07%and 79.88%respectively were isolated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy in the essential oils isolated from the fresh and dry leaves asα-pinene(5.11%and 4.05%).γ-cymene(2.07%and 1.92%),thymol(11.55%and 10.73%),durenol(52.00%and 49.79%),α-terpinene(1.66%and 1.34%),thymol acetate(0.99%and 0.67%),caryophyllene(2.11%and 1.98%),spathulenol(3.09%and 2.98%).camphene(4.11%and3.65%),limonene(1.28%and 1.11%)representing these major chemical compounds.However,some other minor chemical constituents were also isolated and identified from the essential oil of lettuce including p-pinene,α-terpinolene,linalool,4-terpineol,α-terpineol,o-methylthymol,L-alloaromadendrene and viridiflorene.Conclusions:The chemical consliluents in the essential oils from the locally grown lettuce were identified in the following classes or groups of chemical compounds such as monoterpenes,sesquiterpenes volatile organic compounds and their oxygenated hydrocarbons.Therefore,the essential oils and the crude extracts from Omani vegetable species of lettuce are active candidates which would be used as antioxidant,antifungal or antimicrobial agents in new drugs preparation for therapy of infectious diseases.

Thermal state of soils in the active layer and underlain permafrost at the kilometer post 304 site along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline

On-site monitoring is very important for understanding formation mechanisms of frost hazards frequently occurring in pipeline foundation soils and for designing and deploying according mitigative measures in permafrost regions.Significant thaw subsidence of ground surfaces along the ChinaRussia Crude Oil Pipeline(CRCOP) from Mo'he to Daqing,Heilongjiang Province,Northeast China have been observed at some segments underlain by ice-rich warm(>1.0°C) permafrost since the official operation in January 2011.Recent monitoring results of the thermal states of foundation soils at the kilometer post(KP) 304 site along the CRCOP are presented in this paper.The results indicate that during the period from 2012 to 2014,shallow soils(at the depths from0.8 to 4.0 m from ground surface) has warmed by approximately 1.0°C in the lateral range of 1.2 to 2.1 maway from the pipeline axis,and deeper permafrost(such as at the depth of 15 m,or the depth of zero annual amplitude of ground temperatures) by 0.08°C per year 4 m away from the pipe axis,and 0.07°C per year 5 m away from the pipeline axis.The results indicate an all-season talik has developed around and along the CRCOP.The thaw bulb,with a faster lateral expansion(compared with the vertical growth),enlarges in summer and shrinks in winter.This research will provide important references and bases for evaluating thermal influences of warm pipeline on permafrost and for design,construction,operation and maintenance of pipelines in permafrost regions.

Geochemical Characteristics of Crude Oils from Zao-V Oil Measures in Shenjiapu Oilfield

The geochemical characteristics of crude oils from Zao\|Ⅴ oil measures in the Shenjiapu oilfield are systematically described in terms of the fractional composition of crude oils, GC characteristics of saturated hydrocarbon fraction of crude oils and the characteristics of their biomarkers. The depositional environment, type and evolution of the biological source are also discussed. All pieces of evidence such as low saturated hydrocarbon fraction, high resin and asphalt, high isoprenoid alkane, weak odd\|carbon number predominance (CPI ranging from \{1.23\} to \{1.29\}, OEP ranging from \{1.14\} to \{1.16\}) and low sterane and terpane maturity parameters show these crude oils are immature oils. Low Pr/Ph ratios (\{0.66\}-\{0.88\}) and high gammacerance/C\-\{31\} hopane ratios (\{0.59\}-\{0.86\}) indicate the source rocks were formed in a slightly saline to brackish reducing lake depositional environment. Gas chromatographic characteristics of the saturated hydrocarbon fraction and the predominance of C\-\{30\} hopane in terpane series and C\-\{29\} sterane in sterane series indicate the biological source of the crude oils is composed mainly of bacterial and algal organic matter, and some algae are perhaps the main contributor of organic matter to the source rocks.

Effect of nanocomposite pour point depressant EVAL/CNT on flow properties of waxy crude oil

The nanocomposite EVAL-CNT was produced by chemical grafting in the solution system through the esterification of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVAL) and carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (O-MWCNT), and its structural properties were characterized. The improvement of the rheological properties of the waxy oil system by the novel pour point depressant was investigated using macroscopic rheological measurements and microscopic observations. The results showed that EVAL-CNT nanocomposite pour point depressant (PPD) could significantly reduce the pour point and improve the low temperature fluidity of crude oil and had better performance than EVAL-GO at the same addition level. The best effect was achieved at the dosing concentration of 400 ppm, which reduced the pour point by 13 ℃ and the low-temperature viscosity by 85.4%. The nanocomposites dispersed in the oil phase influenced the precipitation and crystallization of wax molecules through heterogeneous crystallization templates, which led to the increase of wax crystal size and compact structure and changed the wax crystal morphology, which had a better effect on the rheological properties of waxy oil.

Thermodynamic Modeling of Wax Precipitation in Crude Oils

Most of the crude oils contain waxes which precipitate when temperature drops, resulting in deposition in pipelines and production equipment. It is necessary to set up a model which can predict the wax appearance tem-perature and the amount of solid precipitated in the different conditions. A modified thermodynamic solid-liquid equilibrium model to calculate wax precipitation in crude oil systems has been developed recently. The assumption that precipitated waxes consist of several solid phases is adopted in this research, and the solid-solid transition is also considered in the modified model. The properties of the pseudo-components are determined by using empirical correlations. New correlations for properties of solid-solid and solid-liquid transitions are also established in this work on the basis of the data from the literature. The results predicted by the proposed model for three crude oil systems are compared with the experimental data and the calculated results from the literature, and good agreement is observed.

New Method for the Deep Dehydration and Desalination of Crude Oil

The present work focused on the environmentally friendly deep desalination of crude oil using ethylene glycol as the extraction solvent and quartz sand as the demulsifier.The effect of droplet size distribution in the emulsion on the dehydration results and desalination efficiency was investigated.Experimental results showed that the desalination efficiencies of Sarir and Basra crude oils were 93.3%and 90.0%,respectively.Furthermore,the desalination efficiency of Basra crude oil using ethylene glycol could be enhanced up to 96.7%by adding 30 g/L quartz sand with a particle size of 15μm.Finally,94%of the ethylene glycol and 86%of the quartz sand could be recovered from the emulsion.This process offers an alternative method to the deep desalination of crude oil.

Corresponding Factors Influencing Crude Oils Assay Using Low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

In this study, the main factors influencing the measurements by means of the off-line low-field 1H NMR in the lab were discussed base on a robust calibration model established by the PLS algorithm using 255 crude oil samples. The preheating temperature had a great influence on the viscosity of oil samples and the resolution of spectral analysis. The repeatability of spectral measurements was impacted by the metal and wax content of the oil samples. For the case of high wax content oils, the wax species began to crystallize in the course of determination that could affect the repeatability of spectral measurements. These factors have evidenced why the preheating devices and filter unit are necessary when low field NMR system is used in the online analysis process. The investigation is very important for the on-line application of the low field NMR.