Environmentally Friendly Method for Enhanced Heavy Oil Recovery by In-Situ Upgrading Process Based on Catalytic Steam Injection

Abstract

Any crude oil with an API gravity below 20 is considered heavy crude, and crude oil with an API gravity below 10 is considered extremely heavy. Conventional oil is lighter and less dense than unconventional oil resources such as heavy oil, extra-heavy oil, and bitumen. When the world’s conventional crude oil stocks are depleted, heavy oil resources will be well-positioned to continue satisfying demand for petroleum products. The economic viability of heavy oil depends on its quality being increased. The use of a catalytic steam injection in-situ upgrading technique to improve heavy oil recovery is discussed here. Previous research has shown that in-situ upgrading has a high catalytic ability to upgrade heavy crude oil by decreasing viscosity, increasing the amount of saturates (obviously low carbon number alkanes), and causing the thermal decomposition of high molecular weight substances such as asphaltenes and resin. There may be advantages to in-situ upgrading over more traditional methods of surface upgrading.

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“…Consequently, an essential step in the oil supply chain involves the upgrading of heavy oil, to meet the requirements for pipeline lifting, gathering, transportation, and final use as a fuel . This conversion into lighter oil involves two primary chemical processes to improve the H/C ratio: carbon rejection or hydrogen addition . Likewise, from a facility perspective, this upgrading is classified into two technology groups: 1) surface and 2) in situ upgrading, with the latter offering greater economic and environmental potential .…”

“…97 This conversion into lighter oil involves two primary chemical processes to improve the H/ C ratio: carbon rejection or hydrogen addition. 210 Likewise, from a facility perspective, this upgrading is classified into two technology groups: 1) surface and 2) in situ upgrading, with the latter offering greater economic and environmental potential. 211 The main challenge associated with surface facilities is their substantial demand for natural gas and heat to generate hydrogen in the existing upgraders.…”

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