Physico-chemical properties of heavy crude oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by mixtures of ionic and non-ionic ethoxylated nonylphenol surfactants and medium chain alcohols

Santos, Ronaldo Gonçalves dos; Bannwart, Antonio Carlos; Briceño, María Isabel; Loh, Watson

doi:10.1016/j.cherd.2010.11.020

Cited by 56 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The most important and current methods for heavy oil transportation can be divided into four major categories: heating, dilution, partial upgrading and lubricated transport. While heat, dilution and partial upgrading are methods aimed at reducing oil viscosity by modifying its microstructure, lubricated flow (standard oilin-water emulsion and annular core flow) reduces the effects of frictional pressure caused by the viscous effects produced during draining and is indicated as an emerging technology to replace the conventional processes currently used in the industry (Nunez et al, 1997;Joseph et al, 1997;Bannwart, 2001;Salager et al, 2001;Santos et al, 2011).…”

Section: Methods To Improve the Characteristics Of Pipeline Flowmentioning

confidence: 99%

An overview of heavy oil properties and its recovery and transportation methods

Santos

Loh

Bannwart

et al. 2014

Braz. J. Chem. Eng.

391

176

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-Unconventional oils -mainly heavy oils, extra heavy oils and bitumens -represent a significant share of the total oil world reserves. Oil companies have expressed interest in unconventional oil as alternative resources for the energy supply. These resources are composed usually of viscous oils and, for this reason, their use requires additional efforts to guarantee the viability of the oil recovery from the reservoir and its subsequent transportation to production wells and to ports and refineries. This review describes the main properties of high-viscosity crude oils, as well as compares traditional and emergent methods for their recovery and transportation. The main characteristics of viscous oils are discussed to highlight the oil properties that affect their flowability in the processes of recovery and pipeline transportation. Chemical composition is the starting point for the oil characterization and it has major impact on other properties, including key properties for their dynamics, such as density and viscosity. Next, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are presented, followed by a discussion about pipeline and transportation methods. In addition, the main challenges to achieve viable recovery and transportation of unconventional oils are compared for the different alternatives proposed. The work is especially focused on the heavy oils, while other hydrocarbon solid sources, such as oil sands and shale oil, are outside of the scope of this review.

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Section: Methods To Improve the Characteristics Of Pipeline Flowmentioning

confidence: 99%

An overview of heavy oil properties and its recovery and transportation methods

Santos

Loh

Bannwart

et al. 2014

Braz. J. Chem. Eng.

391

176

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Alcohols and electrolytes are recognized additives that modify oil emulsion properties [15]. n-Alcohols have been found to be effective co-surfactants in crude oil-in-water emulsions [16]. Short-chain alcohols improve oil-in-water emulsion stability [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Short-Chain n-Alcohols on the Properties of Asphaltenes at Toluene/Air and Toluene/Water Interfaces

Martins

Santos

2018

Colloids and Interfaces

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Abstract:Crude oil asphaltenes contain a wide series of chemical species, which includes the most polar compounds and interfacially active agents from the petroleum. Asphaltenes have been considered to be implicated in foam and emulsion formation during the petroleum recovery and production process. In this work, the interfacial activity of organic solutions containing asphaltene and n-alcohols was investigated. Asphaltene extraction from a 28 • API crude oil produced 2.5 wt % of n-pentane precipitated asphaltene (C5I). Dynamic surface and interfacial tensions of asphaltene solutions were assessed by the pendant drop method. Asphaltene films were evaluated at the air-water interface using a Langmuir trough. Results were expressed by means of the interfacial tension time-dependence. Interfacial tension measurements showed alcohols reduce the toluene/water interfacial tension of asphaltene solutions. The interfacial tension was reduced from 23 mN/m to 15.5 mN/m for a 2 g/L solution of asphaltene plus n-butanol. Higher asphaltene concentrations did not affect the toluene/air surface tension. The effects of n-alcohols on the asphaltene surface activity was dependent on the asphaltene aggregation state. n-Alcohols modify the asphaltene film elasticity and the film phase behavior.

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“…Over the last decade, a lot of studies and patents have been published which propose the formation of oil-in-water emulsion as the method for facilitating the production and transportation of heavy oils, and the advantages of this approach in comparison with alternative technologies were stressed [3,[10][11][12]. It was found that the viscosity of invert oil emulsions after the phase inversion can decrease much more strongly than in dilution with light hydrocarbons.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%