Stimulations and potential applications of ultrasonic technologies for heavy crude oil in reservoirs

Abstract

More than half of the hydrocarbon reservoirs in the world are heavy oil which is characterized by high viscosity. Ultrasonic technologies have attracted the attention of the petroleum industry. The mechanism and current progress of ultrasonic technologies for enhanced oil recovery of heavy oil are illustrated and reviewed and the advantages of ultrasonic technologies are further explained. Then the stimulations of ultrasonic wave for the heavy oil in the west of China are investigated. The experiments are carried out at 80°C, atmospheric pressure and during decades of seconds. The viscosities are measured at 50°C. The effects of the initial viscosity of heavy crude oil and the power and irradiation time of ultrasonic horn on viscosity reduction rate are investigated. The results show that the viscosity reduction rate is sensitive to the power, irradiation time, and the initial viscosity. Only in some special intervals is the viscosity reduction rate obvious, which explains the applicability of ultrasonic technologies for heavy oil The potential and prospective applications of ultrasonic technologies for heavy crude oil in oilfield are discussed at last. Some principles are given for carrying out the operations on the industrial scale, especially for those in reservoirs.