Study on the in situ desulfurization and viscosity reduction of heavy oil over MoO_(3)–ZrO_(2)/HZSM-5 catalyst

Heavy oil is characterized by high viscosity.High viscosity makes it challenging to recover and transport.HZSM-5,MoO_(3)/HZSM-5,ZrO_(2)/HZSM-5 and MoO_(3)–ZrO_(2)/HZSM-5 catalysts were developed to promote in situ desulfurization and viscosity reduction of heavy oil.The physical and chemical properties of catalysts were characterized by XPS,XRD,TEM,NH3-TPD,etc.The effects of temperature,catalyst type and addition amount on viscosity and composition of heavy oil were evaluated.The results showed that the presence of MoO_(3)–ZrO_(2)/HZSM-5 nanoparticles during aquathermolysis could improve the oil quality by reducing the heavy fractions.It reduced viscosity by 82.56%after the reaction at 280℃ and catalyst addition of 1 wt%.The contents of resins and asphaltic in the oil samples were 5.69%lower than that in the crude oil.Sulfur content decreased from 1.45%to 1.03%.The concentration of H2S produced by the reaction was 2225 ppm.The contents of sulfur-containing functional groups sulfoxide and sulfone sulfur in the oil samples decreased by 19.92%after the catalytic reaction.The content of stable thiophene sulfur increased by 5.71%.This study provided a basis for understanding the mechanism of heavy oil desulfurization and viscosity reduction.

Enhancing Heavy Crude Oil Flow in Pipelines through Heating-Induced Viscosity Reduction in the Petroleum Industry

The process of transporting crude oil across pipelines is one of the most critical aspects of the midstream petroleum industry.In the present experimental work,the effect of temperature,pressure drop,and pipe diameter on the flow rate of heavy crude oil have been assessed.Moreover,the total discharge and energy losses have been evaluated in order to demonstrate the improvements potentially achievable by using solar heating method replacing pipe,and adjusting the value of the initial pressure difference.Crude oil of API=20 has been used for the experiments,with the studied pipelines sections connecting the separator unit to the storage tank operating at a temperature of 25℃-100℃,pressure drop of 3,4,5,and 6 kg/cm^(2),and with pipe diameter of 4,6,and 8 in.The results show that on increasing the temperature and/or the pressure drop,the flow rate through the pipeline becomes higher,thus raising the total pumping energy(as the pipe diameter increase),while energy losses increase from the last separator to the storage tank in the field.A pipe diameter increase can also produce a growth of the total pumping energy(i.e.,energy losses increase).The results of the present analysis suggest that employing an optimal temperature(50℃)is needed to ensure good performance.

Rheological properties and viscosity reduction of South China Sea crude oil

The rheological properties of South China Sea （SCS） crude oil were studied. A group of synthetic long-chain polymers, including octadecyl acrylate-maleic anhydride bidodecyl amide copolymer （VR-D）, octadecyl acrylate-maleic anhydride bioctadecyl amide copolymer （VR-O） and octadecyl acrylate-maleic anhydride phenly amide copolymer （VR-A）, were employed to serve as viscosity reducers （VRs）. Their performance was evaluated by both experimental and computational methodologies. The results suggest that the SCS crude oil has low wax content yet high resin and asphaltene contents, which lead to high viscosity through formation of association structures. Additionally, the SCS crude oil appears to be a pseudoplastic fluid showing linear shear stress-shear rate dependence at low temperature. Interestingly, it gradually evolves into a Newtonian fluid with exponential relationship between shear stress and shear rate at higher temperature. Synthetic VRs demonstrate desirable and effective performance on improvement of the rheological properties of SCS crude oil. Upon the introduction of 1000ppm VR-O, which is synthesized by using octadecylamine in the aminolysis reaction, the viscosity of SCS crude oil is decreased by 44.2% at 15 ℃ and 40.2% at 40℃. The computational study suggests significant energy level increase and shear stress decrease for VR-containing crude oil systems.

Experimental investigation of the effects of various parameters on viscosity reduction of heavy crude by oil-water emulsion

The effects of water content, shear rate, temperature, and solid particle concentration on viscosity reduction （VR） caused by forming stable emulsions were investigated using Omani heavy crude oil. The viscosity of the crude oil was initially measured with respect to shear rates at different temperatures from 20 to 70℃. The crude oil exhibited a shear thinning behavior at all the temperatures. The strongest shear thinning was observed at 20℃. A non-ionic water soluble surfactant （Triton X-100） was used to form and stabilize crude oil emulsions. The emulsification process has significantly reduced the crude oil viscosity. The degree of VR was found to increase with an increase in water content and reach its maximum value at 50 % water content. The phase inversion from oil- oil emulsion occurred at 30 in-water emulsion to water-in- % water content. The results indicated that the VR was inversely proportional to temperature and concentration of silica nanoparticles. For water-in-oil emulsions, VR increased with shear rate and eventually reached a plateau at a shear rate of around 350 s^-1. This was attributed to the thinning behavior of the continuous phase. The VR of oil-in-water emulsions remained almost constant as the shear rate increased due to the Newtonian behavior of water, the continuous phase.

Synthesis of Hierarchical Porous Fe_(2)O_(3)/Al_(2)O_(3) Materials and Study on Catalytic Viscosity Reduction of Heavy Oil

Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoparticles were first dispersed in a sol solution containing an aluminum component introduced by an initial doping method.Composite catalyst Hierarchical Porous Fe_(2)O_(3)/Al_(2)O_(3) materials(HPFA)were then synthesized through a sol-gel method via phase separation.The performance of HPFA was compared with that of Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoparticle catalysts.The structure of the composite catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,N_(2) adsorption/desorption,and crush strength testing.The results showed that the Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoparticles could be loaded into the porous skeletons of Hierarchical Porous Al_(2)O_(3) materials(HPA)to achieve a uniform dispersion while avoiding agglomeration,which improved the mechanical strength of the porous materials significantly.The HPFA was then used as a catalyst in the hydrothermal viscosity reduction process of Tuha heavy oil,and the viscosity reduction was investigated.The viscosity reduction rate of HPFA was 81%,which was better than that of the Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoparticles(56%)and HPA(47%).

Development and application of polymetric surfactant emulsification and viscosity reduction system

Compounding polymer AP-P4 with high viscosity-reducing Gemini Surfactant HD,which is used as an emulsifier viscosity reduce,to improve the stability of the O/W emulsion while the viscosity reduction rate is kept.A polymeric surfactant emulsification and viscosity reduction system capable of forming a relatively stable O/W emulsion of heavy oil(0.5%HD+0.1%AP-P4)is then compounded.The system has been characterized as a high viscosity reduction rate and high stability.Meanwhile,the production liquid does not need to be added with a demulsifier and only needs to be heated to 70°C to achieve effective demulsification.The influencing factors of the performance of the polymetric surfactant emulsification and viscosity reduction system were studied.When the oil-water ratio was 70:30 and 60:40,the viscosity reduction rate was 97.47%and 99.09%,respectively;after 15 h at 30°C,the dehydration rates were 95.8%and 99.2%,respectively.The dehydration rate after 15 h at 70°C was 98.1%and 99.4%,respectively;at 30∼50°C,the water phase temperature has a greater impact on the viscosity;at 60°C,70°C,the water phase temperature has little effect on the viscosity;as the temperature of the aqueous phase increased,the stability of the emulsion deteriorated.When the aqueous phase temperature was 30°C,50°C and 70°C,the dehydration rates of the emulsion after 15 h were 95.8%,96.7%and 98.1%,respectively;As the degree of mineralization increases,the viscosity reduction rate decreases,and the stability of the emulsion deteriorates.The system has been used in field test for 2 injection wells,and the production rate of the two wells increased with a peak value of 25 m3/d and 20 t/d,respectively.

Experimental study of Iranian heavy crude oil viscosity reduction by diluting with heptane, methanol, toluene, gas condensate and naphtha

Due to the high viscosity of heavy crude oils,production from these reservoirs is a demanding task.To tackle this problem,reducing oil viscosity is a promising approach.There are various methods to reduce viscosity of heavy oil:heating,diluting,emulsification,and core annular flow.In this study,dilution approach was employed,using industrial solvents and gas condensate.The viscosity of two Iranian heavy crude oils was measured by mixing with solvents at different temperatures.Dilution of both oil samples with toluene and heptane,resulted in viscosity reduction.However,their effect became less significant at higher concentrations of diluent.Because of forming hydrogen bonds,adding methanol to heavy crude oil resulted in higher viscosity.By adding condensate,viscosity of each sample reduced.Gas condensate had a greater impact on heavier oil;however,at higher temperatures its effect was reduced.Diluting with naphtha decreased heavy oil viscosity in the same way as n-heptane and toluene.Besides experimental investigation,different viscosity models were evaluated for prediction of heavy oil/solvent viscosity.It was recognized that Lederer'model is the best one.

In situ modification of heavy oil catalyzed by nanosized metal-organic framework at mild temperature and its mechanism

Two catalysts, nano-sized cobalt-metal-organic framework(Co-MOF) and nickel(Ni)-MOF, were successfully prepared by the modification method. Tetralin(C10H12) was used as the hydrogen donor for the catalytic cracking and hydrogenation modification study of the dehydrated crude oil from the Shengli Oilfield. The optimal reaction conditions were determined through orthogonal experiments, and the components of the crude oil and modified oil samples were analyzed. The results revealed that the nanoMOF catalysts were successfully prepared and exhibited high catalytic activity. They could catalyze the cracking of large molecules in heavy oil at mild temperatures(<300°C), leading to the decomposition of the hydrogen donor. When the mass fraction of the catalyst was 0.2%, the mass fraction of the hydrogen donor was 1%, and the reaction temperature was 280°C, the Ni-MOF showed the best catalytic viscosity reduction effect. It could reduce the viscosity of heavy oil at 50°C from 15761.9 m Pa.s to 1266.2 m Pa.s,with a viscosity reduction rate of 91.97%. The modification effect of Co-MOF was the next best, which could reduce the viscosity of heavy oil to 2500.1 m Pa.s with a viscosity reduction rate of 84.14%. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed a strong interaction force between the MOF surface and asphaltene molecules. In the process of heavy-oil catalytic hydrogenation, the nano-MOF catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity. On the one hand, the empty d orbitals outside the metal atoms in the catalyst could polarize the carbon atoms in the organic matter, accelerating the breaking of long chains. On the other hand, the metal atoms in the catalyst could bond with the carbon σ bonds, breaking the carbon-carbon bonds. This disrupted the structure of the recombined components in the crude oil, irreversibly reducing the viscosity of the heavy oil and improving its fluidity.

Synthesis and mechanism analysis of a new oil soluble viscosity reducer for flow improvement of Chenping heavy oil

Oil soluble viscosity reducers have gradually attracted the attention of petrochemical research due to their cleanliness and high efficiency.Considering the high viscosity and non-Newtonian fluid properties of Chenping heavy oil found in China,a series of new oil soluble viscosity reducers with different proportions and molecular weights were prepared by free radical polymerization using octadecyl acrylate,2-allylphenol and N-methylolacrylamide as monomers.The viscosity reducer was applied to different types of heavy oil and found that it exhibited a better effect on heavy oils with high asphaltene content.The test of rheological behavior of heavy oil with additive was performed at wide range of shear rate(3–90 s^(-1))and temperature range(30–100°C).The apparent viscosity reduction rate was up to 70.09%,which was better than the industrially relevant ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer under the same test condition.In addition,the effect of viscosity reducers on the components of heavy oil and the energy change of the system simulated by molecular dynamics simultaneously was investigated.The consistency of the simulated and experimental results show that the effect of viscosity reduction closely related to the crystallization process of wax and the viscosity reducer can reconstruct the surface structure of asphaltene and diminish the connection of benzene ring.

The Effects of Dispersed Phase Morphology Induced by Flow on the Bulk Viscosity of HDPE/PA Blends

The apparent shear viscosity （ηα） of a blend composed of 97 wt % high-density polyethylene （HDPE） and 3 wt % polyamide （PA-66） was measured by capillary rheometry at different shear rates, below, near and above the melting point of PA-66, i.e. 240℃, 260℃ and 280℃, respectively. At 260℃ and a high shear rate, ηα of the blend reduced abnormally; and at 260℃, was lower than that at 280℃. The images of etched surface of extrudate observed by the SEM showed different dispersed phase morphology, induced by flow at different temperatures. It is suggested that the formation of fibrillar morphology of dispersed phase is a key factor for the abnormal reduction of ηα for the HDPE/PA blend.

Assessment of Nanoparticle-Enriched Solvents for Oil Recovery Enhancement

Solvents are generally used to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oil and ultimately enhance oil recovery.Recently,a new method has been introduced where nanoparticles(NPs)are exploited to induce enhanced oil recovery owing to their ability to improve the mobility ratio,dampen the interfacial tension,and alter rock wett-ability.This study investigated the integration of nano-alumina(Al_(2)O_(3))NPs with an n-hexane solvent.In parti-cular,a Brookfield viscometer has been used to measure the crude oil viscosity and it has been found that NPs can effectively lead to a significant decrease in the overall oil viscosity(70 cp using the solvent only,45 cp when NPs are added).

Aquathermolysis of conventional heavy oil with superheated steam

This paper presents a new aquathermolysis study of conventional heavy oil in superheated steam. A new high temperature autoclave was designed, where volume and pressure could be adjusted. Aquathermolysis was studied on two different conventional heavy oil samples under different reaction times and temperatures. Experimental results show that aquathermolysis does take place for conventional heavy oil. As reaction time increases, the oil viscosity reduces. However, the reaction will reach equilibrium after a certain period of time and won＇t be sensitive to any further reaction time any more. Analysis shows that, while resin and asphaltenes decrease, saturated hydrocarbons and the H/C ratio increase after reaction. The main mechanism of aquathermolysis includes hydrogenization, desulfuration reaction of resin and asphaltenes, etc.

Aquathermolysis of heavy crude oil with ferric oleate catalyst

Oil-soluble catalysts could be of special significance for reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil, because of their good dispersion in crude oil and high catalytic efficiency toward aquathermolysis. Ferric oleate was synthesized and applied as catalyst in the aquathermolysis reaction of Shengli heavy oil. It was found that ferric oleate was more efficient for heavy oil cracking than Co and Ni oleates. Besides, it was superior to oleic acid and inorganic ferric nitrate and achieved the highest viscosity reduction rate of up to 86.1%. In addition, the changes in the components of Shengli heavy oil before and after aquathermolysis were investigated by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and ^1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results indicated that ferric oleate contributed to a significant increase in the content of light components and decrease in the content of resin, N and S. The as-prepared ferric oleate showed good activity for reducing the viscosity and improving the quality of the heavy crude oil, showing promising application potential in aquathermolysis of heavy crude oil.

Synthesis of silica/metatitanic acid nanocomposite and evaluation of its catalytic performance for aquathermolysis reaction of extra-heavy crude oil

A lipophilic silica/metatitantic acid（denoted as Si O2/H2 TiO 3） nanocomposite was synthesized by hydrothermal reaction with surface-modified Si O2 as the lipophilic carrier. As-synthesized Si O2/H2 TiO 3nanocomposite was used as a catalyst to promote the aquathermolysis reaction of extra-heavy crude oil thereby facilitating the recovering from the deep reservoirs at lowered temperature. The catalytic performance of the as-synthesized Si O2/H2 TiO 3catalyst for the aquathermolysis reaction of the heavy oil at a moderate temperature of 150 °C was evaluated in relation to the structural characterizations by TEM,FTIR,XRD and FESEM as well as the determination of the specific surface area by N2adsorption–desorption method. Findings indicate that as-synthesized Si O2/H2 TiO 3nanocomposite exhibits an average size of about 20 nm as well as good lipophilicity and dispersibility in various organic solvents; and it shows good catalytic performance for the aquathermolysis reaction of the extra-heavy oil extracted from Shengli Oilfield of China. Namely,the assynthesized Si O2/H2 TiO 3catalyst is capable of significantly reducing the viscosity of the tested heavy oil from58,000 c P to 16,000 c P（referring to a viscosity reduction rate of 72.41%） at a mass fraction of 0.5%,a reaction temperature of 150 °C and a reaction time of 36 h,showing potential application in downhole upgrading heavy crude oils.

Heating of heavy oil by circulating hot water in closed double casing in ultra-deep wells

In heavy oil production,the loss of energy to ambient surroundings decreases the temperature of the heavy oil flowing upwards in a vertical wellbore,which increases the oil viscosity and the oil may not flow normally in the wellbore.Therefore,it is necessary to lower the heavy oil viscosity by heating methods to allow it to be lifted easily.Heating of heavy oil in an oil well is achieved by circulating hot water in annuli in the well（tubing-casing annulus,casing-casing annulus）.In this paper,based on heat transfer principles and fluid flow theory,a model is developed for produced fluids and hot water flowing in a vertical wellbore.The temperature and pressure of produced fluids and hot water in the wellbore are calculated and the effect of hot water on heavy oil temperature is analyzed.Calculated results show that the hot water circulating in the annuli may effectively heat the heavy oil in the tubing,so as to significantly reduce both oil viscosity and resistance to oil flow.

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of sweet potato powder for the production of ethanol under conditions of very high gravity

Due to its merits of drought tolerance and high yield,sweet potatoes are widely considered as a potential alterative feedstock for bioethanol production.Very high gravity(VHG)technology is an effective strategy for improving the efficiency of ethanol fermentation from starch materials.However,this technology has rarely been applied to sweet potatoes because of the high viscosity of their liquid mash.To overcome this problem,cellulase was added to reduce the high viscosity,and the optimal dosage and treatment time were 8 U/g(sweet potato powder)and 1 h,respectively.After pretreatment by cellulase,the viscosity of the VHG sweet potato mash(containing 284.2 g/L of carbohydrates)was reduced by 81%.After liquefaction and simultaneous saccharification and fer-mentation(SSF),thefinal ethanol concentration reached 15.5%(v/v),and the total sugar conversion and ethanol yields were 96.5%and 87.8%,respectively.

Effect of ammonium based ionic liquids on the rheological behavior of the heavy crude oil for high pressure and high temperature conditions

Heavy crude oil(HCO)production,processing,and transportation forms several practical challenges to the oil and gas industry,due to its higher viscosity.Understanding the shear rheology of this HCO is highly important to tackle production and flow assurance.The environmental and economic viability of the conventional methods(thermal or dilution with organic solvents),force the industry to find an alternative.The present study was constructed to investigate the effect of eco-friendly ionic liquids(ILs)on the HCO's rheology,at high temperature and high pressure.Eight different alkyl ammonium ILs were screened for HCO's shear rheology at the temperatures of 25-100℃ and for pressures 0.1e10 MPa.The addition of ILs reduced the HCO's viscosity substantially from 25 to 33%from their original HCO viscosity.Also,it aids to reduce the yield stress to about 15-20%at all the studied experimental conditions.Furthermore,the viscoelastic property of the HCO was studied for both strain-sweep and frequencysweep and noticed the ILs helps to increase HCO's loss modulus(G00)by reducing storage modulus(G0),it leads to the reduction of the crossover point around 25-32%than the standard HCO.Mean the ILs addition with HCO converts its solid-like nature into liquid-like material.Besides,the effect ILs chain length was also studied and found the ILs which has lengthier chain length shows better efficiency on the flow-ability.Finally,the microscopic investigation of the HCO sample was analyzed with and without ILs and witnessed that these ILs help to fragment the flocculated HCO into smaller fractions.These findings indicate that the ILs could be considered as the better alternative for efficient oil production,processing,and transportation.