In-situ upgrading of heavy crude oils via solvent deasphalting using of nickel oxide nanoparticles as asphaltene co-precipitants

Ovalles, César; Rogel, Estrella; Vien, Janie; Morazan, Harris; Carbognani-Ortega, Lante; López-Linares, Francisco; Rea, Thomas; Wei, Tao; Miao, Toni; Lee, Eddy; Moir, Michael E.

doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122707

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Extra-heavy crude oils and bitumens feature high viscosity (>10 000 cPs) and high density (>1.0 g/mL) or low API gravity (<10.0), which is usually attributed to their high content of heteroatoms (O, N, S, V, and Ni) and increased asphaltene concentration compared to light and medium oils. , Therefore, petroleum companies usually perform in situ upgrading to improve the mobility of extra-heavy fossil fuels . Generally, the goal of upgrading extra-heavy oils, via methods such as visbreaking and hydroconversion, is viscosity reduction, via cracking reactions to decrease molecular weight and/or disruption of intermolecular interactions that likely promote strong aggregation among specific petroleum fractions (e.g., asphaltenes). − Therefore, it is likely that viscosity reduction upon upgrading results from a decrease in the concentration of asphaltenes and resins, known for their higher heteroatom content and stronger aggregation tendencies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Characterization of Remnant Polarizable Asphaltene Fractions Upon Bitumen Upgrading and Possible Implications in Petroleum Viscosity

et al. 2022

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Thermal processing and hydrotreatment are used to decrease the viscosity of Alberta bitumen. However, changes in bulk properties, such as API gravity and viscosity, do not correlate to the gravimetric content of maltenes and asphaltenes. Thus, the work herein employs an extrography separation that yields asphaltene fractions enriched with distinct structural motifs and aggregation tendencies to investigate if changes in viscosity could be linked to the transformation or survival of specific asphaltene compounds and/or extrography fractions. Samples with limited change in viscosity upon thermal processing display minor changes in the gravimetric distribution of the extrography fractions, specifically polarizable species (Tol/THF/MeOH fraction). Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry analysis demonstrates that such samples reveal neither a significant decrease in chemical polydispersity nor a change in the relative content of multicore/archipelago structural motifs post thermal treatment. Conversely, hydroprocessed samples with a pronounced viscosity reduction feature a remarkably lower chemical polydispersity and increased content of single-core (island) structural motifs. Polarizable asphaltene fractions from severely hydrotreated samples feature S-containing species with a low aromaticity, which on the basis of their molecular composition suggests that they are composed of the expected, alkyl substituted, geologically stable thiophenic cores (e.g., benzothiophene) as well as “unexpected” sulfides and sulfoxides. Collectively, the results suggest that the high viscosity of thermally upgraded samples could be correlated to the survival of asphaltene species with high heteroatom content (up to five heteroatoms per molecule) and persistent, high abundance of archipelago structural motifs. Thus, it is suspected that nanoaggregation of such fractions prevents their transformation into lighter products.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Characterization of Remnant Polarizable Asphaltene Fractions Upon Bitumen Upgrading and Possible Implications in Petroleum Viscosity

et al. 2022

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“…The increase in global technological and demographic development added to the exploration of new oil reservoirs have led to the exploitation of unconventional oils, such as heavy oil, extra heavy oil, bitumen from bituminous sand, and residual oils. , However, refining these unconventional and residual oils is challenging due to the high asphaltene content that leads to high viscosity and heteroatom content, such as heavy metal, nitrogen, and sulfur. , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep Eutectic Solvents and Asphaltenes in Oil Operations: Current Status and Future Prospective toward Sustainable Processes

Ferreira,

Dias,

Ferreira

et al. 2024

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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Deep Eutectic Solvents' (DESs) versatility has allowed, over the past few years, the broad applicability of these solvents in several areas of knowledge, including in the oil industry. This work presents an updated review of state-of-the-art DES-based applications in oil operations, focusing on asphaltenes. Different aspects of DES-based applications in oil industry operations have been discussed, particularly the underlying mechanisms, such as reduced interfacial tension, wettability modification, inhibition of asphaltene precipitation, and microemulsion formation. According to the scientific literature, some evidence indicates that solubility, charge transfer, hydrogen bonding, and π−π and acid− base interactions can be considered active mechanisms to promote the interaction between DESs and asphaltene molecules. Based on this study, DESs are considered environmentally friendly and economical alternatives compared to commercial chemical compounds, potentially biodegradable, recyclable, and with tunable properties, which are seen as valuable in the oil industry for both upstream and downstream operations. However, the lack of knowledge about DESs in oil industry operations may be a challenge for their use in large-scale. Therefore, more studies are needed to make it safe and effective in industrial-scale.

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Effects of drying conditions on physicochemical properties of epoxide sol−gel derived α-Fe2O3 and NiO: A comparison between xerogels and aerogels

Babaei

Bazyari

2022

Ceramics International

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In-situ upgrading of heavy crude oils via solvent deasphalting using of nickel oxide nanoparticles as asphaltene co-precipitants

Cited by 10 publications

References 35 publications

Molecular Characterization of Remnant Polarizable Asphaltene Fractions Upon Bitumen Upgrading and Possible Implications in Petroleum Viscosity

Molecular Characterization of Remnant Polarizable Asphaltene Fractions Upon Bitumen Upgrading and Possible Implications in Petroleum Viscosity

Deep Eutectic Solvents and Asphaltenes in Oil Operations: Current Status and Future Prospective toward Sustainable Processes

Effects of drying conditions on physicochemical properties of epoxide sol−gel derived α-Fe2O3 and NiO: A comparison between xerogels and aerogels

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