Transformation of heavy oil in hydrothermal impact

Abstract

The results of experiments on the transformation of heavy oil in a steam-laden environment, at temperatures and pressures ensuring the presence of water in a superheated steam state, as well as in the subcritical and supercritical states are presented. It is shown that supercritical water provides the largest formation of light fractions having a boiling point of 350 °C: their content has increased by 2.5 times. Subcritical water, in contrast to water in the supercritical state, ensures the formation of light fractions at 73% rel. and reduces the content of asphaltenes by 53% rel. compared with the initial oil.