Converting of Waste Crude Oil of East Baghdad Oil Field into Light Hydrocarbons Using Thermal Cracking Technology

Abstract

East Baghdad oil field produces a lot of quantities of waste crude oil due to drilling and production processes activities. This waste is caused a negative impact on the environment and human health. In the present investigation, the collected waste crude oil of API= 13 was converted into light hydrocarbons via a thermal cracking reaction. The thermal cracking process was achieved in a batch reactor at temperatures ranging between 350-450°C in absence of oxygen. At each temperature, the reaction pressures varied between (1-6) kg/cm2. Moreover, a continuous stirring of the reaction mixture inside the reactor was continued during the course of the thermal cracking process at a velocity of 96 rpm. The best yield of produced liquid hydrocarbon, gases, and coke at optimum conditions was 77.56 wt.%, 9.3 wt.%, and 13.14 wt.%, respectively. Actually, this process regards cheap, and simple with a high rate of liquid hydrocarbon production as well as environmentally beneficial.