New method for the onset point determination of the petroleum asphaltene aggregation

Gorshkov, A. M.; Shishmina, L. V.; Roslyak, A. T.

doi:10.1088/1755-1315/21/1/012027

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The authors proposed that the intersection point of these two straight lines shows the onset of asphaltene precipitation. Gorshkov et al (2014) also plotted light scattered intensity versus volume fraction of the precipitant and observed that there are linear and exponential trends for low and high precipitant concentrations, respectively. They identified the intersection point of these two trends as the asphaltene precipitation onset.…”

Section: Light Scattering Technique (Lst)mentioning

confidence: 99%

A review on methods of determining onset of asphaltene precipitation

Soleymanzadeh

Yousefi

Kord

et al. 2018

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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Oil industry suffers from flow assurance problems that occur both in upstream and downstream operations. One of the common flow assurance issues arises from precipitation and deposition of asphaltenes in various locations along the oil production path including near wellbore region in the reservoir, production tubing, flowlines and separation unit at the surface. Asphaltene particles precipitate out of oil continuum due to changes in temperature, pressure or composition. Such changes in operating conditions occur during different recovery processes (natural depletion, gas injection, chemical injection, etc.) as well as production and blending of different oils during transportation. There are different experimental methodologies documented in the literature that describe how to determine onset of asphaltene precipitation. In this paper, a comprehensive review is performed on all the available procedures to measure onset of asphaltene precipitation. The advantages and limitations associated with all these methods are also documented.

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Section: Light Scattering Technique (Lst)mentioning

confidence: 99%

A review on methods of determining onset of asphaltene precipitation

Soleymanzadeh

Yousefi

Kord

et al. 2018

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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“…Emulsion stabilization could also be caused by the high asphaltene content (≈16–18 wt %) of Athabasca bitumen, which influences the behavior of the water-diluted bitumen emulsions. In the literature, the widely accepted paradigm claims that water-in-crude oil emulsions are almost exclusively stabilized by asphaltenes. − This stabilization is attributed to changes in the rheology of the thin liquid film in the contact zone between adjacent water droplets from fluid-like Newtonian to gel-like non-Newtonian, rather than the surfactant-like behavior of asphaltenes. , Recently, Hristova et al have attributed the notable non-Newtonian film rheology to the transition of the oil-continuous phase to a gel-like formation in the contact zone, essentially due to the surface asphaltene precipitation without any noticeable bulk asphaltene precipitation. Moreover, Hristova et al claim that surface asphaltene precipitation may be initiated below the critical dilution for bulk asphaltene precipitation. ,, This is particularly important for SAGD operations, where care should be taken to avoid asphaltene precipitation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of Unresolved Interface “Rag Layer” in Athabasca Oil Sand Bitumen In Situ Recovery

Hristova,

Stoyanov,

McFarlane

et al. 2024

ACS Omega

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Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), the leading commercial in situ bitumen recovery process, involves the underground injection of steam and produces at the well head a hot fluid containing water, hydrocarbons, and sand. This fluid is subjected to separation by diluent addition and gravity in several parallel treaters. Occasionally, the separation may be disrupted in one or few treaters by the occurrence of an unresolved interface or "rag layer" while continuing without disruption in the rest of the treaters. In the current study, we investigate "rag layer" occurrence based on the quantification of laboratory-scale and SAGD field tests and imaging of the "rag layer" morphology. The quantification results show that the formation and volume of the "rag layer" are affected by solids, mixing speed, and solvent addition. The microscopic images demonstrate the presence of both water-in-oil or oil-in water emulsions with a distinct transition between the continuous phases. The visual detection boundaries of the "rag layer" are defined as the threshold between the agglomerated and individual droplet layers. The extent of agglomeration increases in the proximity to the oil−water interface. The contribution of hydrophobic fine inorganic solids (less than 10 μm) to forming a "rag layer" is supported by their accumulation observed at the treaters' oil−water interface, compared to the feed. In well-controlled field operations, the perceived randomness of "rag layer" occurrence could be associated with the fluctuation of fine solid contents in the feed.

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“…The high asphaltene content (∼16–18 wt %) of Athabasca bitumen to a large extent determines the behavior of the water-diluted bitumen emulsions. Asphaltenes are soluble in light aromatics, such as toluene, and insoluble in alkanes, such as pentane or heptane, defining them as a solubility class. − The solvent type, composition, and extent of dilution, therefore, are key parameters that determine the onset of bulk asphaltene precipitation. The critical dilution is defined for each solvent as the threshold amount of solvent at which asphaltene particles precipitate out of the solution when titrating a known amount of oil.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Separation Performance in Bitumen Recovery from Athabasca Oil Sands: Implementation of Separation Efficiency Index

Hristova

Nikooyeh²,

Stoyanov

2023

Energy Fuels

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The oil (diluted bitumen)−water separation efficiency at steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process conditions has been evaluated in a laboratory environment by using a custom-built batch gravity setup, using SAGD field fluids and commercial gas condensate as a diluent. The key parameters and conditions investigated are solvent amount, shear conditions, water-to-oil ratio, and the presence and wettability of fine solids. The results demonstrate the complexity of the oil−water separation process, affected by the dependence of the investigated parameters from one another. A new quantification approach is introduced to facilitate the oil−water separation efficiency evaluation, based on the proposed descriptor, referred to as a separation efficiency index (SEI). Defined as the average of the residual water-in-oil and oil-in-water indices, SEI ranges from 0 to 1, where 1 represents a "perfect" (complete) separation and 0 corresponds to a complete emulsification. The SEI allows one to describe the separation efficiency throughout the entire separation vessel volume, using discrete vertical water distribution profiles, and represents the separation efficiency with a single number, regardless of the experimental approach taken. The findings show that in the range of solvent concentrations of 30 vol % or lower, the mixing speed affects the separation performance and becomes predominant at the relatively low solvent concentrations of 10 and 20 vol %. The amount of solvent added becomes predominant in the oil−water separation process and overcomes all other effects in the highest solvent addition (40 and 50 vol %) range. The presence of water-wet solids improves the separation performance, while the presence of oil-wet solids impedes the oil−water separation. The results presented in this study, in particular the proposed SEI, are important for improving the oil−water separation efficiency and can be used to develop operational envelopes and new solvent injection strategies, in terms of location, amount, and stages, further improving the quality of the oil product obtained in SAGD.

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New method for the onset point determination of the petroleum asphaltene aggregation

Cited by 6 publications

References 6 publications

A review on methods of determining onset of asphaltene precipitation

A review on methods of determining onset of asphaltene precipitation

Investigation of Unresolved Interface “Rag Layer” in Athabasca Oil Sand Bitumen In Situ Recovery

Water Separation Performance in Bitumen Recovery from Athabasca Oil Sands: Implementation of Separation Efficiency Index

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