Influence of FeP and Al(H2PO4)3 Nanocatalysts on the Thermolysis of Heavy Oil in N2 Medium

Abstract

The high viscosity of heavy oil is the main challenge hindering its production. Catalytic thermolysis can be an effective solution for the upgrading of heavy oil in reservoir conditions that leads to the viscosity reduction of native oil and increases the yield of light fractions. In this study, the thermolysis of heavy oil produced from Ashalchinskoye field was carried out in the presence of FеР and Al(H2PO4) nanocatalysts at a temperature of 250 °C in N2 gas environment. It was shown that Al(H2PO4)3 and FeP catalysts at a concentration of 0.5% significantly promoted the efficiency of the heavy oil thermolysis and are key controlling factors contributing to the acceleration of chemical reactions. The Al(H2PO4)3 + NiCO3 nanoparticles were active in accelerating the main chemical reactions during upgrading of heavy oil: desulfurization, removal of the side alkyl chains from polyaromatic hydrocarbons, the isomerization of the molecular chain, hydrogenation and ring opening, which led to the viscosity reduction in heavy oil by 42%wt. Moreover, the selectivity of the Al(H2PO4)3 + NiCO3 catalyst relative to the light distillates increased up to 33.56%wt., which is more than two times in contrast to the light distillates of initial crude oil. The content of resins and asphaltenes in the presence of the given catalytic complex was reduced from 34.4%wt. to 14.7%wt. However, FeP + NiCO3 nanoparticles contributed to the stabilization of gasoline fractions obtained after upgraded oil distillation. Based on the results, it is possible to conclude that the thermolysis of heavy oil in the presence of FеР and Al(H2PO4)3 is a promising method for upgrading heavy oil and reducing its viscosity.

The Catalytic Upgrading Performance of NiSO4 and FeSO4 in Case of Ashalcha Heavy Oil Reservoir

“…The model system was initially purged with nitrogen for 20 min at room temperature to provide the inert ambiance of the process. Within 1 h after that, the temperature in the reactor was increased up to 300 • C and kept for 24 h. The HPHT reactor was then cooled down to 25 • C. Similar conditions were applied in our previous studies [40]. It allows us to simulate the extremal conditions of the steam-assisted enhanced oil recovery used in Russia [41].…”

The Catalytic Upgrading Performance of NiSO4 and FeSO4 in the Case of Ashal’cha Heavy Oil Reservoir

“…These types of hydrocarbons usually have a considerable proportion of large molecules, such as resins and asphaltenes [2][3][4]. Furthermore, these macromolecules also contain large quantities of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen compounds, which can lead to various challenges in the production, transportation, and processing of this type of crude oil [5][6][7]. In addition, the rich metal-containing complexes such as vanadyl and porphyrin, as well as other heavier metals in the structure of the heavy oils, are prone to poisoning the active catalysts used during crude oil processing in refineries.…”