Abstract
Ways to improve the quality of highly weathered crude oils formed as a result of uncontrolled flow and seepage from damaged Kuwaiti oil wells were developed. Seven such oils collected from various lakes in different Kuwaiti oilfields had high contents of salts (up to 15 wt%) and water (up to 50 vol.%), high kinematic viscosity (815 mm 2 s −1 at 50°C) and low API gravity (8.2° API). Washing with fresh water removed the salt and water by up to 29 and 12 vol.%, respectively. Further washing increased the oil-water emulsion owing to the flocculant precipitation of waxy materials and high-molecular-weight compounds. The application of demulsifier, fresh water and heat broke the emulsion and allowed the water to settle out. The clean, water-free crude oil was similar in quality to a typical medium-API crude residue boiling > 300°C. This demonstrates that the oil had lost most of its light hydrocarbons.
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