Octahedral Cluster Complex of Molybdenum as Oil-Soluble Catalyst for Improving In Situ Upgrading of Heavy Crude Oil: Synthesis and Application

Abstract

Heavy oil resources are attracting considerable interest in terms of sustaining energy demand. However, the exploitation of such resources requires deeper understanding of the processes occurring during their development. Promising methods currently used for enhancing heavy oil recovery are steam injection methods, which are based on aquathermolysis of heavy oil at higher temperatures. Regardless of its efficiency in the field of in situ upgrading of heavy oil, this technique still suffers from energy consumption and inefficient heat transfer for deeper reservoirs. During this study, we have developed a molybdenum-based catalyst for improving the process of heavy oil upgrading at higher temperature in the presence of water. The obtained catalyst has been characterized by a set of physico-chemical methods and was then applied for heavy oil hydrothermal processing in a high-pressure reactor at 200, 250 and 300 °C. The comparative study between heavy oil hydrothermal upgrading in the presence and absence of the obtained molybdenum-based oil soluble catalysts has pointed toward its potential application for heavy oil in situ upgrading techniques. In other words, the used catalyst was able to reduce heavy oil viscosity by more than 63% at 300 °C. Moreover, our results have demonstrated the efficiency of a molybdenum-based catalyst in improving saturates and light hydrocarbon content in the upgraded oil compared to the same quantity of these fractions in the initial oil and in the non-catalytically upgraded oil at similar temperatures. This has been explained by the significant role played by the used catalyst in destructing asphaltenes and resins as shown by XRD, elemental analysis, and gas chromatography, which confirmed the presence of molybdenum sulfur particles in the reaction medium at higher temperatures, especially at 300 °C. These particles contributed to stimulating hydrodesulphurization, cracking and hydrogenation reactions by breaking down the C-heteroatom bonds and consequently by destructing sphaltenes and resins into smaller fractions, leading to higher mobility and quality of the upgraded oil. Our results add to the growing body of literature on the catalytic upgrading of heavy oil in the presence of transition metal particles.

Unraveling Thermal Maturation and Hydrocarbon Generation in Domanic Oil Shale through Integrated Physicochemical Analysis

“…Perhaps the main enhanced oil recovery methods, which are undergoing a revolution in terms of extracting unconventional oils, are thermally enhanced oil recovery. In their studies, − the authors have shown the potential use of in situ combustion on heavy and extra-heavy oil recovery. Other studies − have improved the main role of aquathermolysis in improving the heavy oil conversion process.…”

Efficient Heavy Oil Upgrading with Water-Soluble Nickel and Copper Acetate Catalysts

“…To improve the quality of heavy oil and natural bitumen, various upgrading techniques are in use. , Steam-based methods like cyclic steam stimulation and steam-assisted gravity drainage are prevalent, along with cold heavy oil production and solvent-based flooding techniques. − Despite their efficacy, steam-based methods have downsides such as high energy consumption for steam generation and extensive freshwater use, leading to low efficiency and potential conflicts with net-zero emissions goals.…”

Determination of Wax Deposition Rate Model of Blended Oils with Different Blending Ratios

“…To improve the oil's rheological characteristics and ensure reliable and cost-effective crude oil transportation, a series of methods (such as thermal treatment, adding pour point depressant, blending with light oil, sequential transportation, or a combination of various transportation methods) have been presented [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Among them, blending with light oil is a commonly used and reliable method.…”