Effects of Al2O3-NiO, TiO2 and (Mg,Ni)O particles on the viscosity of heavy oil during aquathermolysis

Abstract

Heavy and extra heavy oils make up 70% of the world's reserves, due to their high viscosity and complex composition, they have problems for recovering. Conventional methods are responsible for approximately 30% recovery of crude oil from reservoir. The enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques can reach higher values. The steam injection is the most used technique which heats the oil and reduces de viscosity. The thermal reduction of the viscosity is also followed an incipient cracking, a phenomenon promoted by the presence of hot steam water. This work studies the effect of presence of nanoparticles during steam injection (aquathermolysis), that can generate a more effective catalytic effect, which enhances the incipient cracking and the decreasing of the crude oil viscosity. A heavy oil with a viscosity of 4730 cP at 25 °C was used on a bench scale reactor to evaluate the effects of residence time, temperature, type and concentration of three different nanoparticles (Al2O3-NiO, TiO2 and (Mg, Ni) O) on viscosity and composition of crude oil. The addition of (Mg,Ni)O and TiO2 provided similar viscosity and sulfur content reductions during the aquathermolysis. The results showed that the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles during aquathermolysis can improve the quality of the oil, by reducing the heavy fractions, and its viscosity up to 13.4%.