Venezuela has considerable heavy oil reserves; in consequence the evaluation of the potential technologies to be applied for its exploitation is required. Heavy and extra heavy crude oil reservoirs are produced initially using its primary energy. However, depending on the viscosity the production in other reservoirs will be directly by enhanced thermal processes. One of the thermal technologies that have been studied for more than three decades worldwide is the in situ combustion process. In the last ten years the use of additives has been important to promote the upgrading of the produced oil. Combustion process with additives has shown some advantages with respect to conventional combustion: (1) oil production increases, (2) faster combustion front, and (3) higher temperatures during the combustion. The main goal in the present work is to evaluate an additive for in situ combustion process in order to enhance it. Inexpensive waste stream was used as additive for upgrading the produced crude oil. The experimental methodology used is based first; in to introduce the additive in 2/3 of the total of the porous media, then the void space into the cell is completed with porous media without additive. After, the system is preheating, following by air injection applied into the porous media during the entire combustion test. Once the combustion front will face the additive, it acquires faster velocities and the front stability was reached quicker than during conventional combustion test. The results obtained with the additive shows the production of lighter compounds. It is a promising opportunity to exploit and to produce the Venezuelan heavy crude oil reserves. In consequence, it will be possible to get oil with more value in the market.

The main challenge of the Venezuelan Oil Industry is focused in exploitation of the Orinoco Oil Belt (FPO), where potentiality are located the largest heavy oil reserves in the world. The heavy and extra heavy oil reservoirs are produced by its primary energy in some cases; in others depending on the oil viscosity enhanced oil recovery by thermal processes are applied. In Situ Combustion has been studied for more than four decade and there are reported several studies using additive in order to optimize it. However, a wide range of kind of additive has been studied and they evidence an increase of the recovery associated and upgrading to the oil produced. The present approach has been visualized as a considerable opportunity to contact a bigger zone into the reservoir and major effectiveness of the reaction promote. In that sense, PDVSA Intevep is focused on optimizing the combustion process using non-conventional additive. The methodology used is based on the air injection into the reservoir and posterior heating for ignition, where the combustion front will face with the emulsified additive promoting a series of exothermic oxidation reactions which reduce oil viscosity, due to the additional energy generated by the presence of additive in the system. The results obtained in the combustion tests, showed front stability, a considerable increase in the reactions conversion, reduction of oil viscosity, an as a consequence major oil recovery and oil value for the marketing.