Compositional Changes for Athabasca Bitumen in the Presence of Oxygen Under Low Temperature Conditions

Jia, N.; Moore, R.G.; Mehta, S.A.; Fraassen, K. Van; Ursenbach, M.; Zalewski, E.

doi:10.2118/2004-126

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 5 publications

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“…A Low Temperature Oxidation (LTO) kinetic model developed by Jia et al (12) was used in conjunction with the phase equilibrium calculations to predict the compositional changes which were observed in a suite of experiments performed in a separate rocking cell apparatus. Details of the apparatus have been described previously by Jia et al (13) .…”

Section: Outer Loopmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phase Behaviour and Compositional Changes Associated With Residual Oxygen in a Miscible CO/Light Oil Reservoir

Jia

Moore

Mehta

et al. 2007

Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology

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Concern about the effects of global greenhouse gases has made people aware of the need to reduce the atmospheric concentration of industrial waste gas. Alberta, as the centre of Canada's petroleum industry, is strongly impacted by the politics of greenhouse gases. One way Alberta can achieve the goals of the Kyoto Protocol is to capture CO2 from stack gases and to inject it into oil reservoirs to enhance recovery while sequestering at least a portion of the CO2. This paper will concentrate on oil from the Swan Hills Formation reservoir operated by Devon Oil Corporation. The phase behaviour of different concentrations of CO2/O2 mixtures injected into the Swan Hills reservoir was investigated. Two PVT (Pressure-Volume-Temperature) apparatus were used to visually observe phases and to determine bubble points and swelling of the oil rich phase. The PVT measurements were performed to develop a basic understanding of the phase behaviour for the CO2 / O2 /oil system. The composition of oxidized oil was predicted using a previously developed low temperature oxidation model coupled with phase equilibrium calculations. Introduction Carbon dioxide flooding is a well established enhanced oil recovery process in regions where CO2 is available. Canada has been slow to implement CO2 floods due to the lack of natural sources. However, the public's concern with greenhouse gas emissions and Canada's support for the Kyoto Protocol provide sufficient environmental incentives to allow for the application of CO2 floodingas a combined EOR/sequestration process. Capturing the CO2 from stack gas is an expensive process and the actual cost will depend on the purity of the CO2 stream that is required. Oxygen is an important factor as its impurity can modify the native oil properties through low temperature oxidation reactions, promotion of corrosion in the injection and production piping and alter the phase behaviour of the reservoir fluids. The study described in this paper will examine how oxygen is consumed in the reservoir, and it will concentrate on the impact of oxidation reactions with regard to the composition and emulsification characteristics of the oil. Lee(1) studied the phase behaviour and displacement efficiency of a carbon dioxide-hydrocarbon system which consisted of various mixtures of n-pentane/n-hexane. The results demonstrated that multiple phase behaviour involving two liquids with and without a vapour phase occurred during carbon dioxide injection in low temperature reservoirs. A number of studies on the effectiveness of carbon dioxide displacement under miscible and immiscible conditions have been reported by Wilburn et al.(2), Dyer et al.(3), Srivastava and Huang(4, 5) and Srivastava et.al.(6). The results showed that CO2 /oil miscibility could be developed and that the swelling behaviour depended on the chemical composition of the oil. Wilburn et al.(2) also found that miscibility is strongly dependent on the volatility or boiling point distribution of the oil. Dyer et al.(3) investigated the phase behaviour of typical Saskatchewan heavy oils with carbon dioxide. Their study was divided into two categories: stock tank oil and reservoir oil, which were mixed with CO2 in different ratios. Parameters studied included viscosity, density, swelling factor and gas-oil ratio (GOR).

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Section: Outer Loopmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phase Behaviour and Compositional Changes Associated With Residual Oxygen in a Miscible CO/Light Oil Reservoir

Jia

Moore

Mehta

et al. 2007

Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology

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Compositional Effect on the Low-Temperature Oxidation of Crude Oils Subjected to In Situ Combustion

et al. 2023

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This work shows the compositional effect on low-temperature oxidation of crude oils subjected to in situ combustion (ISC). Three heavy crudes were used in this study in which detailed information on the molecular species involved in ISC was obtained by ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry. The oxidation was carried out on a mixture of 2% of crude oil in Ottawa sand in an isothermal cell using a batch system at 1500 psi at three conditions: (i) reservoir temperature of each crude oil, (ii) 180 °C, and (iii) 180 °C using a heterogeneous catalyst-type β-MnO 2 . The oil remaining after the reaction was extracted from the sand and characterized by FT-ICR MS using (+) atmospheric pressure photoionization and (−) electrospray ionization modes. The acidity of the oxidation products (extracts) and the composition of the produced carbon oxides were also monitored. A greater amount of carbon oxides produced, a lower extraction yield of organic matter in the sand after the reaction, and a higher acidity in the extracts, implied a higher reactivity. In the same sense, a higher reactivity was observed for the sample with the highest sulfur content and over the most aromatic compounds. The use of the catalyst at 180 °C promoted the oxidative reactions in two of three of the oils, as well as the formation of polyoxygenated acids over monocarboxylic acids for one of the oils, which implies that the application of this technology strongly depends on the composition of the oil.

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Microbial Degradation Rates of Natural Bitumen

Pannekens

Voskuhl

Mohammadian

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Microorganisms are present in nearly every oil or bitumen sample originating from temperate reservoirs. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to obtain reliable estimates about microbial processes taking place in deep reservoirs, since metabolic rates are rather low and differ strongly during artificially cultivation. Here, we demonstrate the importance and impact of microorganisms entrapped in microscale water droplets for the overall biodegradation process in bitumen. To this end, we measured degradation rates of heavily biodegraded bitumen from the Pitch Lake (Trinidad and Tobago) using the novel technique of reverse stable isotope labeling, allowing precise measurements of comparatively low mineralization rates in the ng range in microcosms under close to natural conditions. Freshly taken bitumen samples were overlain with artificial brackish water and incubated for 945 days. Additionally, three-dimensional distribution of water droplets in bitumen was studied with computed tomography, revealing a water bitumen interface of 1134 cm 2 per liter bitumen, resulting in an average mineralization rate of 9.4−38.6 mmol CO 2 per liter bitumen and year. Furthermore, a stable and biofilm-forming microbial community established on the bitumen itself, mainly composed of fermenting and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Our results suggest that small water inclusions inside the bitumen substantially increase the bitumen−water interface and might have a major impact on the overall oil degradation process.

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Compositional Changes for Athabasca Bitumen in the Presence of Oxygen Under Low Temperature Conditions

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Phase Behaviour and Compositional Changes Associated With Residual Oxygen in a Miscible CO/Light Oil Reservoir

Phase Behaviour and Compositional Changes Associated With Residual Oxygen in a Miscible CO/Light Oil Reservoir

Compositional Effect on the Low-Temperature Oxidation of Crude Oils Subjected to In Situ Combustion

Microbial Degradation Rates of Natural Bitumen

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