Intensification of the steam stimulation process using bimetallic oxide catalysts of MFe2O4 (M = Cu, Co, Ni) for in-situ upgrading and recovery of heavy oil

Abstract

In this study, bimetallic catalysts based on transition metals CuFe2O4, CoFe2O4 and NiFe2O4 are proposed for catalyzing aquathermolysis reaction during steam-based EOR method to improve in-situ heavy oil upgrading. All upgrading experiments were carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere for 24 h in a 300-ml batch Parr reactor at 250 and 300 °C under high pressure 35 and 75 bar, respectively. To evaluate the catalytic performance of the bimetallic catalysts used, comprehensive studies of changes in the physical and chemical properties of the improved oils, including the viscosity, elemental composition and SARA fractions of oils before and after upgrading processes were used. Furthermore, individual SARA fractions were characterized in detail by Gas Chromatography (GC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C NMR), respectively. The results showed that bimetallic catalysts have high catalytic performance at 300 °C for the upgrading of heavy crude oil in viscosity reduction, increasing the amount of saturates (especially alkanes with low carbon number) as a result of thermal decompositions of high molecular weight compounds like resin and asphaltenes leading to their increasing. Furthermore, the upgrading performance is reflected in the improvement of the H/C ratio, the removal of sulfur and nitrogen through desulfurization and denitrogenation procedures, and the reduction in polyaromatic content, etc. CoFe2O4 gives the best performance. Generally, it can be concluded that, used bimetallic based catalysts can be considered as promising and potential additives improving in-situ upgrading and thermal conversion the heavy oils.

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

“… The in-situ upgrading process greatly reduces energy consumption since the oil is produced and upgraded using the same energy from the steam injection.  In-situ upgrading is a more environmentally friendly process, producing less waste and costing less to dispose of [13][14][15].…”

Methods of Treating Produced Water During Oil and Gas Production Processes

“…Formation water (ground water) and injected water are produced with a mixture of hydrocarbons to be called water cut. Then, fluid separation techniques are used to separate the hydrocarbons from the water, as this process is carried out on the surface [12,13].…”

A Divestment Model: Migration to Green Energy Investment Portfolio Concept

“…Oil exploration and gas extraction have been long-standing activities that have met the global demand for energy [14,15]. Despite the efforts to shift to alternative, green and sustainable energy sources, reliance on hydrocarbons continues to increase [16,17].…”