Dataset Information

Processing and Recovery of Heavy Crude Oil Using an HPA-Ni Catalyst and Natural Gas.

ABSTRACT: To maintain economic profitability and stabilize fuel prices, refineries actively explore alternatives for efficiently processing (extra) heavy crude oils. These oils are challenging to process due to their complex composition, which includes significant quantities of asphaltenes, resins, and sulfur and nitrogen heteroatoms. A critical initial step in upgrading these oils is the hydrogenation of polyaromatic compounds, requiring substantial hydrogen sources. Methane from natural gas streams is known to act as an effective hydrogen donor. This study investigates the use of a heteropolyacid (HPA) catalyst modified with nickel and methane to enhance the quality of heavy crude oil with an initial 8.0°API (at 15.5 °C) and 2200 cSt viscosity (at 37.5 °C). After treatment in a batch reactor at 380 °C and 4.4 MPa for 2 h, the oil properties markedly improved: API gravity increased from 8.0 to 16.0 (at 15.5 °C), and kinematic viscosity reduced from 2200 to 125 cSt (at 37.5 °C). Additionally, there was a significant decrease in asphaltenes (from 38.7 to 16.4% by weight), sulfur (from 5.9 to 4.0% by weight), and nitrogen (from 971 to 695 ppm). This was accompanied by an increase in the volume of light distillates from 1.3 to 4.9%, and middle distillates from 8.8 to 21.0%. These results suggest that nickel-modified HPA catalysts, combined with methane as a hydrogen donor, are a promising option for upgrading heavy crude oils.

SUBMITTER: Schacht-Hernandez P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11307308 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Processing and Recovery of Heavy Crude Oil Using an HPA-Ni Catalyst and Natural Gas.

Schacht-Hernández Persi P Miranda-Olvera Alma Delia AD Jiménez-Cruz Federico F Morelos-Santos Oscar O García-Gutiérrez José Luis JL Quintana-Solórzano Roberto R

ACS omega 20240725 31

To maintain economic profitability and stabilize fuel prices, refineries actively explore alternatives for efficiently processing (extra) heavy crude oils. These oils are challenging to process due to their complex composition, which includes significant quantities of asphaltenes, resins, and sulfur and nitrogen heteroatoms. A critical initial step in upgrading these oils is the hydrogenation of polyaromatic compounds, requiring substantial hydrogen sources. Methane from natural gas streams is k ...[more]

PMID: 39130572

Similar Datasets

Project description:Low salinity waterflooding (low salinity-EOR) has attracted great interest from many giant oil producers and is currently under trial in some of the oil fields of the United States, Middle Eastern countries, and North Sea reservoirs. Most of the reported studies on this process were carried out for medium to relatively heavy oil with significant polar contents. In this work, we have investigated low salinity waterflooding performance for light paraffinic crude oil with a low acid number. This study has been performed using crude oil from an Indian offshore oilfield and Indian offshore seawater. Oil recovery efficiencies of seawater and its diluted versions (low salinity seawater) were evaluated through core-flooding experiments performed on a silica sand pack containing small amounts (2 wt %) of bentonite clay saturated with crude oil. Interfacial tension and wettability studies were performed to understand the associated low salinity effects on the crude oil/brine/rock properties. Effluent brine produced during the flooding experiments was also analyzed to obtain a clearer insight into the low salinity-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) mechanism. The results showed that injection of low salinity seawater can significantly increase the waterflood recovery in comparison with high salinity seawater injection. Interfacial tension and contact angle studies revealed that there is an optimum dilution level at which the interfacial tension and wettability are the most favorable for enhanced oil recovery even in the case of light paraffinic crude. These results are in line with the results obtained from the core-flooding experiments. The possible reason behind recovery improvement based on the interfacial tension and wettability studies in conjugation with the effluent brine analysis has been discussed in detail. In this study, we have observed that the enhanced oil recovery efficiency could be achieved by applying low salinity seawater flooding even in the case of light paraffinic oil with a low acid number.

Project description:Unconventional resources, such as heavy oil, are increasingly being explored and exploited due to the declining availability of conventional petroleum resources. Heavy crude oil poses challenges in production, transportation, and refining, due to its high viscosity, low API gravity, and elevated sulfur and metal content. Improving the quality of heavy oil can be achieved through the application of steam injection, which lowers the oil's viscosity and enhances its flow. However, steam injection alone falls short of meeting the growing demand for higher-quality petroleum products. Catalytic upgrading is therefore being investigated as a viable solution to improve heavy oil quality. This study experimentally investigates the application of two novel catalysts, namely copper-substituted zinc ferrite (ZCFO) synthesized via the sol-gel combustion method and a graphene oxide-based nanocomposite (GO-ZCFO) with different ratios, for catalyzing aquathermolysis reactions in the steam injection process, with the aim of enhancing the in-situ upgrading of heavy oil. These catalysts underwent characterization using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Their catalytic performance was assessed utilizing a high-pressure/high-temperature reactor (300 ml), with a comprehensive analysis of the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the heavy oil before and after upgrading. This analysis included measurements of sulfur content, SARA fractions, viscosity, API gravity, and Gas Chromatography (GC) of saturated hydrocarbons and evolved gases. All upgrading experiments, including both catalytic and non-catalytic aquathermolysis processes, were conducted under a reaction time of 6 h, a reaction temperature of 320 °C, and high pressure (86-112 bar). The results indicated that the introduction of the proposed catalysts as additives into the upgrading system resulted in a significant reduction in sulfur content. This, in turn, led to a decrease in resin and asphaltene content, an increase in the content of saturated hydrocarbon, particularly low-molecular-weight alkanes, and ultimately, a reduction in viscosity along with higher API gravity of the crude oil. GO-ZCFO with a weight ratio (50:50) exhibited the best catalytic performance. The heavy crude oil, upgraded with this 50:50 ratio, exhibited significant enhancements, including a 29.26% reduction in sulfur content, a 21.27% decrease in resin content, a 37.60% decrease in asphaltene content, a 46.92% increase in saturated hydrocarbon content, a 66.48% reduction in viscosity, and a 25.49% increase in API gravity. In comparison, the oil upgraded through non-catalytic aquathermolysis showed only marginal improvements, with slight reductions in sulfur content by 5.41%, resin content by 3.60%, asphaltene content by 11.36%, viscosity by 17.89%, and inconsiderable increases in saturated hydrocarbon content by 9.9% and API gravity by 3.02%. The GO-ZCFO, with its high catalytic activity, stands as a promising catalyst that contributes to improving the in-situ upgrading and thermal conversion of heavy crude oil.

Dataset Information

Processing and Recovery of Heavy Crude Oil Using an HPA-Ni Catalyst and Natural Gas.

Publications

Processing and Recovery of Heavy Crude Oil Using an HPA-Ni Catalyst and Natural Gas.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets