Activity assessment of NiMo bimetallic nanocatalyst in presence and absence of steam in in-situ upgrading technology (ISUT)

Abstract

Production of heavy and extra-heavy oil is highly costly and severely carbon-emitting as it requires significant amount of energy. The In-situ Upgrading Technology (ISUT) is a novel method for production of heavy oil and bitumen that integrates both downhole upgrading and recovery enhancement in one single process. This process relies on catalytic downhole upgrading of heavy oil and bitumen in the presence of nanocatalyst and hydrogen. The presence of catalyst and hydrogen ensures upgrading reactions to take place from aboveground up to certain perimeter around the injector well. In this study, hydrogen is partially replaced with steam to reduce the operational cost of the ISUT process. The hybrid environment of hydrogen and steam is observed to alter the catalytic activity. The hydrogenation extent is closely monitored by assessing sulphur content, microcarbon, asphaltene content as well as hydrogenation of a polyaromatic compound, phenanthrene, as a chemical marker that was dissolved in the VR co-injected. This work focuses on the trade-off that exists in the addition of steam to the process, while generally assessing the impact that presence of water can have on the ISUT efficiency and product quality.