Compositional studies of a high-boiling 370-535.deg. distillate from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, crude oil

Abstract

In addition to providing some of the general characteristics of the Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, crude oil as determined by the Bureau of Mines routine method of analysis, a comprehensive analytical characterization of a high-boiling 370-535/sup 0/C distillate is presented. Following distillate preparation by several distillation steps in special distillation equipment, careful separating procedures with ion-exchange resins, coordination-complex formation of neutral nitrogen compounds with ferric chloride, and dual silica-alumina gel adsorption provided suitable concentrate fractions for further study. Subdivision of aromatics into three major aromatic types--monoaromatics, diaromatics, and polyaromatics-polar--greatly simplified subsequent separation and characterization studies. Monoaromatic, diaromatic, and polyaromatic-polar concentrates combined represent a large portion (45.5 percent) of the 370-535/sup 0/C boiling range distillate of the Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, crude oil, the importance of which justified detailed determinations of the number of rings involved, the relative aromaticity, and the degree of condensation of aromatic, naphthene, or heterocyclic rings. The end result is a scheme of sample preparation, analysis, and characterization that should be applicable to similar high-boiling distillates from other crude oils and of value to the petroleum industry in studies related to the origin of petroleum as well as its production, processing, storage, and usability.