Effect of Ligand Structure on the Kinetics of Heavy Oil Oxidation: Toward Biobased Oil-Soluble Catalytic Systems for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Abstract

In recent years, protection of the environment from activities associated with enhanced oil recovery has been considered a crucial priority for decision-makers in the international community. The in situ combustion process as a promising thermal enhanced oil recovery method has been attracting considerable interest in terms of improving oil production and environmental protection. However, this technique is not yet well studied. This paper outlines a new approach to improve the process of heavy oil oxidation by designing new biobased oil-soluble catalysts that are able to maintain and stabilize the combustion flame front of the in situ combustion process. A comprehensive theoretical and experimental study including thermal analysis (thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry, TG/DSC) and quantum calculations was used to shed light on the effect of the ligand structure in the oil-soluble catalytic system on the heavy oil oxidation process. The obtained accurate results proved that metal interaction with the designed ligands increased, which led to a decrease in the energy of activation and an increase in the heavy oil oxidation reaction rate. Besides, the obtained DSC curves showed one peak in the presence of Cu and biobased ligands, contrary to the curves obtained for heavy oil oxidation reported with other ligands and metals. In other words, the obtained catalysts merged low-temperature-and high-temperature oxidation regions into one region. These findings reveal that the structure of ligands can significantly affect their interaction with metals in oil-soluble catalysts, and therefore the efficiency of catalysts is dramatically improved. We believe that our work could be usefully employed for further studies to clarify the mechanism of the in situ combustion behavior of heavy oil for a better impact on the environment.

Rock Mineral Components’ Effects on Heavy and Shale Oil Transformation during Aquathermolysis

“…The term aquathermolysis itself provides for the important role of the minerals of the reservoir rock [25]. Aquathermolysis is considered as one of the methods of in situ upgrading of high-viscosity crude oil, along with in situ combustion, low-temperature oxidation and other methods, which are common for formation heating and injection of reagents and/or catalysts [25][26][27][28][29].…”

Influence of Anionic and Amphoteric Surfactants on Heavy Oil Upgrading Performance with Nickel Tallate under Steam Injection Processes

“…The most widely applied enhanced heavy oil recovery methods are based on steam technologies, i.e., steam flooding, cyclic steam stimulation (CSS), and steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). The steam treatment has both physical and chemical consequences on heavy oil characteristics, although the latter is poorly studied in literature. − The chemical consequences of steam stimulation techniques can be improved by the introduction of different additives such as air, solvents, catalysts, and chemicals . It is well-known that the addition of an appropriate amount of catalytic complex or mixtures into the oil bulk and steam reaction zone significantly promotes the chemical reactions such as hydrolysis, hydrogenolysis, hydrocracking, pyrolysis, hydrodesulfurization, isomerization.…”

In Situ Combustion of Heavy, Medium, and Light Crude Oils: Low-Temperature Oxidation in Terms of a Chain Reaction Approach

“…For many years, there has been a rapid increase in the successful implementation of air injection into reservoirs for enhancing oil recovery around the world. − For the past 40 years, in situ combustion (ISC) has been implemented for enhancing heavy oil recovery; meanwhile, high-pressure air injection (HPAI) has been implemented for light oil extraction. In fact, the main reason for injecting air into an oil reservoir is to form a combustion front, which results in heat generation and, therefore, effective oil displacement. − However, the formation and stabilization of the combustion front are widely based on the oxidation reaction rate, which mainly depends on reservoir conditions and its oil properties. In other words, the more stable the combustion front is, the safer and more efficient the implementation of air injection turns out to be .…”