Performance evaluation of a novel multi-metal catalyst solution obtained from electronic waste bioleaching on upgrading and enhancing oil recovery

Abstract

Due to the high costs and associated high CO2 emissions of thermal methods, this study focuses on upgrading heavy oil and enhancing oil recovery within reservoir temperature ranges. In this research, a novel, low-cost, and environmentally friendly multi-metal catalyst has been used, which is actually extracted from electronic waste (E-waste). At optimal conditions, which include 80 °C, 12 h of retention time, and 0.2 % v/v of the multi-metal catalyst, this catalyst effectively reduced the viscosity of heavy oil from 687 to 580 mPa.s. To analyze heavy oil before and after the process, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was conducted. FTIR spectra indicates that the multi-metal catalyst has reduced the amount of aromatic compounds, shortened hydrocarbon chains, and decreased double and triple bonds. Micromodel tests were conducted by multi-metal catalyst flooding at optimal temperature and retention time obtained from static experiments. Heavy oil recovery through multi-metal catalyst flooding reached 38 %, which is a 10.5 % increase compared to deionized water flooding. The contact angle of the rock was measured after contact with the multi-metal catalyst. The multi-metal catalyst reduced the contact angle by 55 °, changing the wettability of carbonate rock from oil-wet to water-wet. The absorption test indicates that the multi-metal catalyst dissolves certain metals in the rock, most likely due to the high pH of the catalyst. As a result, the permeability of the rock may increase due to the dissolution of the rock metals.