Hydrocarbon Recovery From Oil Sands by Cyclic Surfactant Solubilization in Single-Phase Microemulsions

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pushpesh Sharma ◽  
Konstantinos Kostarelos ◽  
Sujeewa S. Palayangoda
Keyword(s):  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Heavy Oils ◽  
Oil Sand ◽  
Flow Experiment ◽  
Heavy Crude

Extra heavy crude oil (bitumen) reserves represent a significant part of the energy resources found all over the world. In Canada, the “oil sands” deposits are typically unconsolidated, water-wet media where current methods of recovery, such as open pit mining, steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD), vapor extraction, cold heavy oil production with sand, etc., are controversial due to adverse effect on environment. Chemical enhanced oil recovery (cEOR) techniques have been applied as alternatives but have limited success and contradictory results. An alternative method is described in this paper, which relies on the application of single-phase microemulsion to achieve extremely high solubilization. The produced microemulsion will be less viscous than oil, eliminating the need for solvent addition. Produced microemulsion can be separated to recover surfactant for re-injection. The work in this paper discusses phase behavior experiments and a flow experiment to prove the concept that single-phase microemulsions could be used to recover extra-heavy oils. Phase behavior experiments showed that the mixture of alcohol propoxysulfate, sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, sodium carbonate, and tri-ethylene glycol monobutyl ether results in single-phase microemulsion with extra-heavy crude. A flow experiment conducted with the same composition produced only single-phase microemulsion leading to 74% recovery of the original oil in place from a synthetic oil sand. Future experiments will be focused on optimizing the formulation and testing with actual oil sands samples.

scholarly journals Principal component analysis of summertime ground site measurements in the Athabasca oil sands: Sources of IVOCs

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Travis W. Tokarek ◽  
Charles A. Odame-Ankrah ◽  
Jennifer A. Huo ◽  
Robert McLaren ◽  
Alex K. Y. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Component Analysis ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands

Abstract. In this paper, measurements of air pollutants made at a ground site near Fort McKay in the Athabasca oil sands region as part of a multi-platform campaign in the summer of 2013 are presented. The observations included measurements of selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by a gas chromatograph &ndash ion trap mass spectrometer (GC-ITMS). This instrument observed a large, analytically unresolved hydrocarbon peak (with retention index between 1100 and 1700) associated with intermediate volatility organic compounds (IVOCs). However, the activities or processes that contribute to the release of these IVOCs in the oil sands region remain unclear. Principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was applied to elucidate major source types impacting the sampling site in the summer of 2013. The analysis included 28 variables, including concentrations of total odd nitrogen (NOy), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), total reduced sulfur compounds (TRS), speciated monoterpenes (including α- and β-pinene and limonene), particle volume calculated from measured size distributions of particles less than 10 µm and 1 µm in diameter (PM10-1 and PM1), particle-surface bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAH), and aerosol mass spectrometer composition measurements, including refractory black carbon (rBC) and organic aerosol components. The PCA was complemented by bivariate polar plots showing the joint wind speed and direction dependence of air pollutant concentrations to illustrate the spatial distribution of sources in the area. Using the 95 % cumulative percentage of variance criterion, ten components were identified and categorized by source type. These included emissions by wet tailings ponds, vegetation, open pit mining operations, upgrader facilities, and surface dust. Three components correlated with IVOCs, with the largest associated with surface mining and is likely caused by the unearthing and processing of raw bitumen.

Phase Boundaries of Microemulsion Systems as a Way of Characterizing Hydrocarbon Mixtures

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (06) ◽  
pp. 763-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishor D. Shah ◽  
Don W. Green ◽  
Michael J. Michnick ◽  
G. Paul Willhite ◽  
Ronald E. Terry
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Phase Boundary ◽  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Carbon Number ◽  
Phase Boundaries ◽  
Titration Method ◽  
Lower Phase ◽  
Surfactant System

Abstract Phase behavior of microemulsions composed of TRS 10-80, brine (10.6 mg/g NaCl), isopropyl alcohol, and mixtures of pure hydrocarbons was studied to determine the location of phase boundaries of the single-phase microemulsion region. Studies were conducted on pseudoternary phase diagrams where the pseudocomponents were isopropanol, brine, and a constant ratio of surfactant to hydrocarbon (S/H). Phase boundaries were determined be the titration method developed by Bowcott and Schulman, which was extended to systems of interest for oil recovery by Dominguez et al.The titration method involves the addition of brine to a single-phase microemulsion until phase separation occurs. Then the system is titrated to transparency by addition of isopropanol. Dominguez et al. demonstrated the applicability of the titration method for systems containing pure alkanes. They found upper and lower phase boundaries (high and low alcohol concentrations) for the microemulsion regions on S/H pseudoternary diagrams that were represented by linear relationships between the volume of alcohol and the volume of brine required to attain a single-phase microemulsion. This region, termed Region 4, bounded by linear phase boundaries, extends over a wide range of brine concentrations including regions of interest to enhanced oil-recovery processes. The research reported in this paper extends the work of Dominguez et al. to mixtures of pure hydrocarbons. The locations of the lower phase boundaries for Region 4 were determined for four types of mixtures prepared with pure hydrocarbons ranging from C6 to C18.In all phase behavior experiments, the lower phase boundary of Region 4 was a straight line when volume of alcohol was plotted against volume of brine. Furthermore, the slope of this phase boundary was found to be a linear function of alkane carbon number (ACN) for pure hydrocarbons and equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN) for mixtures of pure hydrocarbons.The correlation of a property of the phase diagram (the slope of the lower phase boundary) with EACN suggests a new approach to characterization of hydrocarbon/surfactant systems. In our experience, the EACN determined from phase behavior studies is more reproducible than the EACN determined from methods involving measurements of interfacial tensions. This method has potential for characterization of surfactant/hydrocarbon systems for complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, including crude oils. Introduction The design of a surfactant system for an enhanced oil-recovery application typically requires much effort, expense, and time. The surfactant system, usually consisting of a petroleum sulfonate and an alcohol dissolved in a brine solution, must be tailormade for a given crude oil/reservoir brine system where it will be applied. The process in finding the optimal system involves varying the components in the surfactant system in compatibility tests, phase behavior studies, physical property measurements, and displacement tests in both Berea and actual reservoir rock.One of the most important considerations in this screening procedure is matching the sulfonate to the crude oil of interest. This can be difficult since both the sulfonate and the crude oil are complex mixtures of pure components. It would be advantageous if each could be characterized by some physical property. SPEJ P. 763^

Drag Reduction in Heavy Oil

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Storm ◽  
R. J. McKeon ◽  
H. L. McKinzie ◽  
C. L. Redus
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Effective Viscosity ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Heavy Oils ◽  
Single Phase Flow ◽  
Flow Loop ◽  
Pipeline Flow ◽  
Water Layers ◽  
Heavy Crude ◽  
Flow Experiments

Transporting heavy crude oil by pipeline requires special facilities because the viscosity is so high at normal field temperatures. In some cases the oil is heated with special heaters along the way, while in others the oil may be diluted by as much as 30 percent with kerosene. Commercial drag reducers have not been found to be effective because the single-phase flow is usually laminar to only slightly turbulent. In this work we show the effective viscosity of heavy oils in pipeline flow can be reduced by a factor of 3–4. It is hypothesized that a liquid crystal microstructure can be formed so that thick oil layers slip on thin water layers in the stress field generated by pipeline flow. Experiments in a 1 1/4-in. flow loop with Kern River crude oil and a Venezuela crude oil BCF13 are consistent with this hypothesis. The effect has also been demonstrated under field conditions in a 6-in. flow loop using a mixture of North Sea and Mississippi heavy crude oils containing 10 percent brine.

Particulate matter emissions over the oil sands regions in Alberta, Canada

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenyu Xing ◽  
Ke Du
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Formation Mechanisms ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Secondary Aerosol

Particulate matter (PM) emissions from the expanded oil sands development in Alberta are becoming a focus among the aerosol science community because of its significant negative impact on the regional air quality and climate change. Open-pit mining, petroleum coke (petcoke) dust, and the transportation of oil sands and waste materials by heavy-duty trucks on unpaved roads could release PM into the air. Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels by engines and stationary boilers leads to the formation of carbonaceous aerosols. In addition, wildfire and biogenic emissions surrounding the oil sands regions also have the potential to contribute primary PM to the ambient air. Secondary organic aerosol formation has been revealed as an important source of PM over nearby and distant areas from the oil sands regions. This review summarizes the primary PM sources and some secondary aerosol formation mechanisms that are linked to oil sands development. It also reviews the approaches that can be applied in aerosol source apportionment. Meteorological condition is an important factor that may influence the primary PM emission and secondary aerosol formation in Alberta’s oil sands regions. Current concern should not be limited to the primary emission of atmospheric PM. Secondary formation of aerosols, especially secondary organic aerosol originating from photochemical reaction, should also be taken into consideration. To obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the sources and amount of PM emissions based on the bottom-up emission inventory approach, investigations on how to reduce the uncertainty in determination of real-world PM emission factors for the variable sources are needed. Long-range transport trajectories of fine PM from Alberta’s oil sands regions remain unknown.

Use of Cosolvents To Improve Alkaline/Polymer Flooding

SPE Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.. Fortenberry ◽  
D.H.. H. Kim ◽  
N.. Nizamidin ◽  
S.. Adkins ◽  
G.W.. W. Pinnawala Arachchilage ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Mobility Control ◽  
Crude Oils ◽  
Heavy Oils ◽  
Low Viscosity ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Acidic Components

Summary We have found that the addition of low concentrations of certain inexpensive light cosolvents to alkaline/polymer (AP) solutions dramatically improves the performance of AP corefloods in two important ways. First, the addition of cosolvent promotes the formation of low-viscosity microemulsions rather than viscous macroemulsions. Second, these light cosolvents greatly improve the phase behavior in a way that can be tailored to a particular oil, temperature, and salinity. This new chemical enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) technology uses polymer for mobility control and has been termed alkali/cosolvent/polymer (ACP) flooding. ACP corefloods perform as well as alkaline/surfactant/polymer (ASP) corefloods while being simpler and more robust. We report 12 successful ACP corefloods using four different crude oils ranging from 12 to 24°API. The ACP process shows special promise for heavy oils, which tend to have large fractions of soap-forming acidic components, but is applicable across a wide range of oil gravity.

scholarly journals Comparison of polycyclic aromatic compounds in air measured by conventional passive air samplers and passive dry deposition samplers and contributions from petcoke and oil sands ore

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 9161-9171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narumol Jariyasopit ◽  
Yifeng Zhang ◽  
Jonathan W. Martin ◽  
Tom Harner
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Dry Deposition ◽  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Abstract. Conventional passive air samplers (PAS) and passive dry deposition samplers (PAS-DD) were deployed along a 90 km south–north transect at five sites in the Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) during October to November 2015. The purpose was to compare and characterize the performance of the two passive sampling methods for targeted compounds across a range of site types. Samples were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs), nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs), and oxygenated PAHs (OPAHs). ΣPAC and ΣNPAH concentrations were highest in PAS and PAS-DD samplers at site AMS5, which is the closest sampling site to surface mining and upgrading facilities. The OPAHs were elevated at site AMS6, which is located in the town of Fort McMurray, approximately 30 km south of the main mining area. PAS-DD was enriched relative to PAS in particle-associated target chemicals, which is consistent with the relatively more open design of PAS-DD intended to capture particle-phase (and gas-phase) deposition. Petroleum coke (petcoke) (i.e., the carbonaceous byproduct of bitumen upgrading) and oil sands ore (i.e., the material mined in open-pit mines from which bitumen is extracted) were assessed for their potential to be a source of PACs to air in the oil sands region. The ore samples contained ∼ 8 times and ∼ 40 times higher ΣPACs concentrations (dry weight basis) than delayed and fluid petcoke, respectively. The residue analysis of ore and petcoke samples also revealed that the chemical 4-nitrobiphenyl (4-NBP) can be used to track gas-phase emissions to air. A comparison of chemical residues in ore, petcoke, and air samples revealed that the ore is likely a major contributor to volatile PACs present in air and that both ore and petcoke are contributing to the particle-associated PACs in air near open-pit mining areas. The contribution of petcoke particles in passive air samples was also confirmed qualitatively using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

scholarly journals Bioremediation of Heavy Crude Oil Contamination

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 301-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Al-Sayegh ◽  
Yahya Al-Wahaibi ◽  
Sanket Joshi ◽  
Saif Al-Bahry ◽  
Abdulkadir Elshafie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Contamination ◽  
Heavy Crude Oil ◽  
Heavy Oils ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Crude Oil Contamination ◽  
Oil Biodegradation ◽  
Heavy Crude

Crude oil contamination is one of the major environmental concerns and it has drawn interest from researchers and industries. Heavy oils contain 24-64% saturates and aromatics, 14-39% resins and 11-45% asphaltene. Resins and asphaltenes mainly consist of naphthenic aromatic hydrocarbons with alicyclic chains which are the hardest to degrade. Crude oil biodegradation process, with its minimal energy need and environmentally friendly approach, presents an opportunity for bioremediation and as well for enhanced oil recovery to utilize heavy oil resources in an efficient manner. Biodegradation entails crude oil utilization as a carbon source for microorganisms that in turn change the physical properties of heavy crude oil by oxidizing aromatic rings, chelating metals and severing internal bonds/chains between molecules. Biodegradation does not necessarily lower quality of crude oil as there are cases where quality was improved. This paper provides information on heavy crude oil chemistry, bioremediation concept, biodegradation enzymes, cases of Microbial Enhanced heavy crude Oil Recovery (MEOR) and screening criteria towards a better understanding of the biodegradation application. Through the utilization of single microorganisms and consortia, researchers were able to biodegrade single pure hydrocarbon components, transform heavy crude oil fractions to lighter fractions, remove heavy metals and reduce viscosity of crude oil.

The Topology of Phase Boundaries for Oil/Brine/Surfactant Systems and Its Relationship to Oil Recovery

1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bourrel ◽  
C. Chambu ◽  
R.S. Schechter ◽  
W.H. Wade
Keyword(s):  
Phase Boundary ◽  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Phase Diagrams ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Phase Region ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Phase Boundaries ◽  
Single Phase Region

Abstract Surfactant/oil/water phase diagrams have become the most important screening tool used to select microemulsion systems for enhanced oil recovery. The number of phases coexisting at a given salinity, the extent of the single-phase region, and the position of the phase boundaries all have relevance with respect to oil displacement efficiency. It is shown that the phase diagrams can be made to take on different configurations depending on the alcohol cosurfactant, the salinity, the impurities present in the surfactant, and the dispersity of the surfactant mixture. Besides the importance of the phase boundary shape, this study provides further insight into factors determining the height of the binodal surface on the pseudoternary phase diagram. Results show the effect of salinity as well as the surfactant, alcohol, and hydrocarbon types on the height of the binodal surface. It is shown that salinity is the main factor; other parameters have little or no influence once a surfactant has been selected. Finally the microemulsion viscosity is shown to be related to the proximity of the formulation to phase boundaries. Extensive data for one system are presented. Introduction It is now recognized that formulating surfactant/oil/brine systems that exhibit desirable phase behavior is an important step in optimizing performance of microemulsion systems for enhanced oil recovery. Oil is displaced by a combination of mechanisms-miscible displacement, swelling of the oil phase, and low tension displacement all of which are related to the topology of the phase boundaries in composition space. To predict the outcome of a particular project, a representation of the phase boundaries and their evolution when diluted with oil or brines having various proportions of divalent ions is required. For example, successful application of the salinity gradient concept demands phase relationships specially structured to accommodate the variations in salinity experienced by the surfactant slug during the course of the flood. Recent publications have dealt with the optimal salinity as a function of total amphiphile concentration (surfactant plus cosurfactant), and reported trends that are quite different from those found if the cosurfactant (alcohol) concentration is held constant. One purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that contorted phase boundaries found by Glover et al are caused by the variation of alcohol concentration when the concentration of total amphiphile is varied and because the direction that the phase boundaries twist or rotate is controlled by the nature of the alcohol. Another important factor is the extent of the single-phase region. More precisely, the height of the demixing curve in the pseudoternary representation should be minimized. This would permit, in principle, the amount of surfactant and cosurfactant in the micellar slug to be minimized. A correlation permitting the determination of the oil, salinity, alcohol, and surfactant at which the height of the demixing curve is minimized has been reported, but few data giving the value of the minimum height have been presented. This height is an important feature of the phase boundary topology and extensive measurements are reported here. The microemulsion viscosity must be high enough to help maintain mobility control. It is sometimes difficult to achieve the required levels of viscosity. Studies of microemulsion viscosity have been reported. We provide further data here and have related the microemulsion viscosities to phase behavior. Materials and Experimental Techniques The phase diagrams have been established by two techniques: a titration procedure and a grid-point technique. SPEJ P. 28^

Fish tainting in the Alberta oil sands region: a review of current knowledge

2012 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janelle L. Tolton ◽  
Rozlyn F. Young ◽  
Wendy V. Wismer ◽  
Phillip M. Fedorak
Keyword(s):  
Oil Sands ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Open Pit ◽  
Open Pit Mining ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Oil Sands Mining ◽  
The Media ◽  
Northeastern Alberta ◽  
Tailings Ponds

The Athabasca oil sands in northeastern Alberta, Canada represent the second largest petroleum reserve in the world. The process of extracting bitumen from the oil sands uses huge volumes of water, drawn from sources in the Athabasca River basin, and numerous mining companies operate adjacent to the river. Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) from open pit mining is placed in large settling basins or tailings ponds that have the potential to leak. The goal is to eventually reclaim the tailings ponds to become functional ecosystems. Natural outcrops of oil sands in contact with surface waters also occur, and there are anecdotal reports in the media that fish caught near the Athabasca oil sands have an unusual flavor or odor. Several analytical and sensory studies have been undertaken to address this issue. Two major questions related to fish tainting arise: (1) Do the current oil sands mining, extraction and upgrading processes cause fish tainting in surrounding waters? (2) What is the tainting potential for fish that become established in reclaimed waters in the future? This review examines the types of compounds in OSPW that might contribute to tainting and the sensory science literature available related to fish tainting and the oil sands.

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