Asphalt Content Research Articles

Experimental Investigation of Indirect Tensile Strength of Hot Mix Asphalt with Varying Hydrated Lime Content at Low Temperatures and Prediction with Soft-Computing Models

If asphalt pavements are exposed to cold weather conditions and high humidity for long periods of time, cracking of the pavement is an inevitable consequence. In such cases, it would be a good decision to focus on the filler material, which plays an important role in the performance variation in the hot asphalt mixtures used in the pavement. Although the use of hydrated lime as a filler material in hot asphalt mixtures is a common method frequently recommended to eliminate the adverse effects of low temperature and to keep moisture sensitivity under control in asphalt pavements, the sensitivity of the quantities of the material cannot be ignored. Therefore, in this study, an amount of filler in the mixture was replaced with hydrated lime (HL) filler additive at different rates of 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%. These asphalt briquettes, designed according to the Marshall method, have optimum asphalt contents for samples with specified HL content. In this study, where the temperature effect was examined at five different levels of −10 °C, −5 °C, 0 °C, 5 °C and 25 °C, the samples were produced in two different groups, conditioned and unconditioned, in order to examine the effect of water. The indirect tensile strength (ITS) test was applied on the produced samples. Experimental study showed that HL additive strengthened the material at low temperatures and made it more resistant to cold weather conditions and humidity. In the second part of the study, two different prediction models with varying configurations were introduced using nonlinear regression and feed-forward neural networks (FFNNs) and the best prediction performance among these was investigated. Examination of the performance measures of the prediction models indicated that ITS can be accurately predicted using both methods. As a result of comparing the developed models with the experimental data, the model provides significant contributions to the evaluation of the relationship between the ITS values obtained with the specified conditioning, temperature changes and HL contents.

STUDY OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND POTENTIAL CONTENT OF FRACTIONS OF GAS CONDENSATE OF AL-MASILA FIELDS

The results of determining the physicochemical characteristics of gas condensate produced at the Al-Masila fields are presented. Key indicators include density, vapor pressure, viscosity at various temperatures, pour point, content of water, chloride salts, sulfur, asphaltenes and metals. All measurements were carried out in accordance with current State Standards and methods. The potential content of gas condensate fractions by boiling point, determined by the true distillation method using AUTOMAXX 9400 equipment, is also described.

Effect of Using Fine Volcanic Ash Instead of Crushed Basalt Filler in Hot Mix Asphalt

Numerous studies over the years have demonstrated the significance and impact of filler in influencing the physical and mechanical properties of Hot Mix Asphalts (HMAs). To overcome such issues, as environmentally friendly alternatives, several different materials for construction have been proposed. This led to an investigation into the potential use of fine volcanic ash (FVA) as a hot mix asphalt filler alternative. In order to prepare bituminous concrete mix sample with conventional basalt filler (BF) as control mix. The Marshall Mix design approach was used to calculate the effective bitumen content. A total of 15 bituminous concrete mix specimens with bitumen content of 4%, 4.5%, 5%, 5.5%, and 6% were created, and the optimum asphalt content was 5.24 %. The impacts of five different (FVA) samples with filler contents of 15%, 30%, 45%, and 60% by weight were compared with respect to bituminous concrete performance. The Marshall stability of a total of 30 samples with varying amounts of (FVA) were investigated. The outcomes were compared with a conventional bituminous concrete mixture. The results showed that fine volcanic ash may substitute 30% of the basalt filler at a bitumen content of 5.24%, 13.84 KN Marshall stability value, 4.0% air voids, 74.77% VFB, 2.380 g/cm3 bulk density and 3.54 mm flow. Therefore, the combination of 30% Fine Volcanic Ash by weight of Basalt Filler satisfies the ASTM Specifications, while the remaining VA content satisfies the basic requirements of the ASTM Specifications.

Optimizing in-situ upgrading of heavy crude oil via catalytic aquathermolysis using a novel graphene oxide-copper zinc ferrite nanocomposite as a catalyst

Unconventional resources, such as heavy oil, are increasingly being explored and exploited due to the declining availability of conventional petroleum resources. Heavy crude oil poses challenges in production, transportation, and refining, due to its high viscosity, low API gravity, and elevated sulfur and metal content. Improving the quality of heavy oil can be achieved through the application of steam injection, which lowers the oil’s viscosity and enhances its flow. However, steam injection alone falls short of meeting the growing demand for higher-quality petroleum products. Catalytic upgrading is therefore being investigated as a viable solution to improve heavy oil quality. This study experimentally investigates the application of two novel catalysts, namely copper-substituted zinc ferrite (ZCFO) synthesized via the sol–gel combustion method and a graphene oxide-based nanocomposite (GO-ZCFO) with different ratios, for catalyzing aquathermolysis reactions in the steam injection process, with the aim of enhancing the in-situ upgrading of heavy oil. These catalysts underwent characterization using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Their catalytic performance was assessed utilizing a high-pressure/high-temperature reactor (300 ml), with a comprehensive analysis of the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the heavy oil before and after upgrading. This analysis included measurements of sulfur content, SARA fractions, viscosity, API gravity, and Gas Chromatography (GC) of saturated hydrocarbons and evolved gases. All upgrading experiments, including both catalytic and non-catalytic aquathermolysis processes, were conducted under a reaction time of 6 h, a reaction temperature of 320 °C, and high pressure (86–112 bar). The results indicated that the introduction of the proposed catalysts as additives into the upgrading system resulted in a significant reduction in sulfur content. This, in turn, led to a decrease in resin and asphaltene content, an increase in the content of saturated hydrocarbon, particularly low-molecular-weight alkanes, and ultimately, a reduction in viscosity along with higher API gravity of the crude oil. GO-ZCFO with a weight ratio (50:50) exhibited the best catalytic performance. The heavy crude oil, upgraded with this 50:50 ratio, exhibited significant enhancements, including a 29.26% reduction in sulfur content, a 21.27% decrease in resin content, a 37.60% decrease in asphaltene content, a 46.92% increase in saturated hydrocarbon content, a 66.48% reduction in viscosity, and a 25.49% increase in API gravity. In comparison, the oil upgraded through non-catalytic aquathermolysis showed only marginal improvements, with slight reductions in sulfur content by 5.41%, resin content by 3.60%, asphaltene content by 11.36%, viscosity by 17.89%, and inconsiderable increases in saturated hydrocarbon content by 9.9% and API gravity by 3.02%. The GO-ZCFO, with its high catalytic activity, stands as a promising catalyst that contributes to improving the in-situ upgrading and thermal conversion of heavy crude oil.

Investigation on the impact of CO2-Induced precipitation on microscopic pore structure of low-permeable reservoirs

CO2 injection into reservoirs might induce organic or inorganic precipitation in microscopic pores, and some of the pores are blocked by the precipitates, resulting in a decrease in the connectivity of pores and affecting oil recovery. In this paper, a set of experiments on CO2 displacement and CO2-water-oil-rock interaction are conducted to study the microscopic mechanisms of reservoir damage. In-situ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology is applied to conduct the microscopic analysis of CO2-EOR and reservoir damage at real reservoir conditions. The results reveal that the particle size and the amount of inorganic precipitates formed in the formation water will increase with the rise of CO2 injection pressure, and the inorganic precipitates primarily consist of siderite and kaolinite. The change of NMR T2 spectra of the core samples reveals that the inorganic precipitates primarily block the small pores less than 0.89 μm. However, as a result of stronger mineral dissolution and solute transport, the pore volume of the large pores (greater than 0.89 μm) increases after the CO2-water-rock reaction. Ultimately, this interaction results in a 5.4% increment in pore volume. In addition, the displacement efficiency of water-saturated cores is improved after the first CO2 displacement, which indicates that CO2-water-rock interaction can effectively improve the seepage properties of reservoirs. Nevertheless, the reservoir damage caused by asphaltene precipitation during CO2 flooding is more significant. The asphaltene precipitation percentage in formation oil increases with the rise of CO2 injection pressure, reservoir temperature, and asphaltene content in virgin oil. CO2-induced asphaltene precipitation causes more severe blockage on small pores in comparison with large pores. After 2 h of CO2 injection to the oil-saturated core, permeability and oil recovery caused by CO2-induced precipitation decreased by 17.6% and 11.4%, respectively.

Spatial distribution of remaining movable and non-movable oil fractions in a depleted Maastrichtian chalk reservoir, Danish North Sea: Implications for CO2 storage

Depleted oil and gas fields constitute potentially important storage sites for CO2 in the subsurface, but large-scale injection of supercritical (sc) CO2 in chalk has not yet been attempted. One of the risks is the adverse effect of the substantial amount of remaining oil in the chalk reservoirs on scCO2 injection. In order to counter an undesired effect on injectivity, a fundamental understanding of the spatial distribution and quantity of the movable, semi-movable, and non-movable oil, and solid bitumen/asphaltenes fractions of the remaining oil is critical. In this study a combination of organic geochemistry (gas chromatography of the saturated fraction and programmed pyrolysis), and reflected light microscopy was applied to evaluate and measure the spatial distribution, volume, and saturation of different oil fractions in a well-defined reservoir interval of a waterflooded Maastrichtian chalk reservoir in the Danish Central Graben, North Sea. A total of 127 samples from a slightly deviated vertical well and two ∼5 km-long horizontal wells from the Halfdan and Dan fields were analyzed. An original uneven distribution of oil saturation and composition or different production efficiency of different levels in the reservoir may account for variations in the total oil and oil fraction saturations. Gas chromatography shows that the solvent extractable oil is quite similar in composition, characterized by a dominance of polar compounds and a high content of asphaltenes. Extended slow heating (ESH) pyrolysis reveals that most of the remaining oil saturation consists of semi-movable oil and total non-movable oil (non-movable oil plus solid bitumen/asphaltenes). Reduced oil gravity values (API) are related to evaporation loss of the lightest hydrocarbon fraction during core storage and increase of the relative proportion of the heavier oil fractions by waterflooding during production. Microscopy disclosed three forms of oil: i) Patchy distributed lighter, movable oil showing a bluish fluorescence, ii) Brownish staining with a dark orange to brownish fluorescence, and iii) Dark brown non-fluorescing oil and black solid bitumen/asphaltenes occurring in microfossils and along deformation bands and stylolites, constituting the heavy non-movable oil fractions. There is a general correlation between bulk rock porosity and the total non-movable oil saturation. It thus appears that the heavy non-movable oil fractions preferentially occur in association with low-permeability heterogeneities within high-permeability stratigraphic intervals. These intervals appear to favor accumulation of non-movable oil and solid bitumen/asphaltenes and may carry a higher risk for impeding scCO2 flow.

Research and Application Progress of Crude Oil Demulsification Technology

The extraction and collection of crude oil will result in the formation of numerous complex emulsions, which will not only decrease crude oil production, raise the cost of extraction and storage, and worsen pipeline equipment loss, but also seriously pollute the environment because the oil in the emulsion can fill soil pores, lower the soil’s permeability to air and water, and create an oil film on the water’s surface to prevent air–water contact. At present, a variety of demulsification technologies have been developed, such as physical, chemical, biological and other new emulsion breaking techniques, but due to the large content of colloid and asphaltene in many crude oils, resulting in the increased stability of their emulsions and oil–water interfacial tension, interfacial film, interfacial charge, crude oil viscosity, dispersion, and natural surfactants have an impact on the stability of crude oil emulsions. Therefore, the development of efficient, widely applicable, and environmentally friendly demulsification technologies for crude oil emulsions remains an important research direction in the field of crude oil development and application. This paper will start from the formation, classification and hazards of crude oil emulsion, and comprehensively summarize the development and application of demulsification technologies of crude oil emulsion. The demulsification mechanism of crude oil emulsion is further analyzed, and the problems of crude oil demulsification are pointed out, so as to provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the development and application of crude oil demulsification technology in the future.

Research on Design Parameters for Fatigue Performance of Asphalt Mixtures.

The fatigue performance of the asphalt mixture was the main focus of this study, with five typical factors-phase angle, cumulative dissipated energy, failure strain, failure stiffness modulus, and strain rate-identified as potential design indexes. The effect of asphalt content on the parameters under different gradation and stress ratios was tested. It was observed that the selected parameters exhibited varying levels of sensitivity and relevance to the fatigue behavior of asphalt mixtures under cyclic loads. By comparison, the strain rate proved sensitive to the asphalt content and independent of the other parameters, namely aggregate gradations and stress ratio, thus establishing the strain rate as a critical design index based on fatigue performance. On this basis, a design method based on the fatigue performance for the asphalt mixtures is herein proposed. It was confirmed that the asphalt mixture formulated using the proposed method exhibited enhanced fatigue endurance compared to those designed using the conventional method.

Study on the improvement of fatigue and crack resistance of semi-flexible pavement materials using the mixing -molding method

This study focuses on two significant issues pertaining to conventional grout-molded semi-flexible pavement material (P-SFP): the difficult of achieving a high grouting rate and the limited scope for enhancing asphalt content, both of which contribute to the poor crack resistance of the SFP. To address these problems, the Mixed-Molding Method Semi-Flexible Pavement Material (M-SFP) is proposed, which utilizes a combination of mixed-molding method to enhance the crack resistance and fatigue life of SFP. In order to investigate the effects of asphalt film thickness and gradation type, four different gradations and five different asphalt contents of M-SFP were designed based on the volume filling theory. The effects of asphalt film thickness and gradation type on the cracking resistance and fatigue life of M-SFP were investigated through various tests, including low-temperature bending, semi-circular bending tensile, and four-point bending fatigue test. The results were then compared with those of the control P-SFP. The test results show that the strain energy density of M-SFP is increased by 24.9 % and the fracture energy is increased by 52.1 % compared with the conventional P-SFP; the number of fatigue life times under 200με, 225με, and 250με microstrain are increased by 53.6 %, 41.3 %, and 47.3 %, respectively. Based on crack resistance test results, it is recommended that the design asphalt film thickness of M-SFP exceed 10μm. Furthermore, measurements of the air void content reveal that the M-SFP exhibits significantly better compactness compared to the P-SFP. In conclusion, it shows that the Mixing-Molding method can be used to obtain semiflexible pavement materials with higher asphalt dosage, better cracking resistance, better degree of compactness, and longer fatigue life. In addition, the correlation analysis between the cracking resistance results and the rigid-flex ratio indicates that the recommended design rigid-flex ratio for SFP should be less than 2.06.

Performance evaluation of bio-oil and high rubber content modified asphalt: More effective waste utilization

In this study, the bio-oil was used to reduce the viscosity and preparation temperature of high content of rubber-modified asphalt. The high rubber content modified bio-asphalt (RMBA) was prepared, the rubber and bio-oil contents were 20 %-30 % and 5 %-15 % (mass ratio of neat asphalt), respectively. The viscosity, temperature sweep (TS), frequency sweep (FS), multi-stress creep recovery (MSCR), and bending beam rheometer (BBR) tests were performed to assess the properties of RMBA. The Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Fluorescence microscopy (FM), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were conducted to explore the microscopic morphology of RMBA. Besides, the economic analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA) were assessed. Bio-oil contributed to the viscosity-reduction of the RMBA. When the rubber content was 30 %, the viscosity decreased by 48.16 % with a bio-oil content of 15 %. The temperature and frequency sensitivity of RMBA were lower than neat asphalt. Rubber improved the creep recovery and anti-rutting deformation behavior for bio-asphalt. The absorption peaks appeared at 1010 and 1038 cm−1, which represented the SO function group. The rubber did not absorb enough bio-oil for solubilization. This resulted in the functional group of SO appeared in 30 %+B-10 % and R-30 %+B-15 %. FM and SEM test results indicated that the rubber in RMBA exists in different states: undissolved rubber and dissolved rubber. The high content rubber could be partially dissolved in bio-asphalt and retained its elastic properties. The dissolved rubber particles exhibited a large crosslinked network structure. The raw material cost of RMBA decreased significantly with the rise of rubber and bio-oil contents. The reasonable application of waste rubber is beneficial to the alleviation of black pollution. The efficient application of rubber and bio-oil could contribute to the development of waste utilization and green transportation.

Transforming Petrochemical Processes: Cutting-Edge Advances in Kaolin Catalyst Fabrication

The depletion of conventional light petroleum reserves has intensified the search for alternative sources, notably, low-quality heavy oils and byproducts from heavy crude processing, to meet the global demand for fuels, energy, and petrochemicals. Heavy crude oil (HO) and extra heavy crude oil (EHO) represent nearly 70% of the world’s reserves but require extensive upgrading to satisfy refining and petrochemical specifications. Their high asphaltene content results in elevated viscosity and reduced API gravity, posing significant challenges in extraction, transportation, and refining. Advanced catalytic approaches are crucial for efficient asphaltene removal and the conversion of heavy feedstocks into valuable light fractions. Kaolin, an aluminosilicate mineral, has emerged as a key precursor for zeolite synthesis and a promising catalyst in upgrading processes. This article provides a comprehensive exploration of kaolin’s geological origins, chemical properties, and structural characteristics, as well as the various modification techniques designed to improve its catalytic performance. Special focus is given to its application in the transformation of heavy crudes, particularly in facilitating asphaltene breakdown and enhancing light distillate yields. Finally, future research avenues and potential developments in kaolin-based catalysis are discussed, emphasizing its vital role in addressing the technological challenges linked to the growing reliance on heavier crude resources.

Geochemical analysis of surface natural seepages and hydrocarbon fields of technogenic origin in the Amga River Basin (Siberian platform)

The presence of substantial accumulations of bitumen is critically significant as they serve as direct indicators of oilbearing regions. However, in the context of environmental studies, their existence complicates the assessment of technogenic soil contamination by oil and petroleum products. The objective of this research was to identify informative geochemical parameters that would facilitate the differentiation between natural surface seepages and technogenic hydrocarbon fields resulting from commercial oil spills. This study examined natural surface oil seepages in the Amga River Basin and technogenic oil contamination near the Amga Oil Depot. Employing classical bituminology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry, a comparative analysis of their compositional characteristics was conducted. Notably, significant differences in geochemical parameters, such as the concentrations of hydrocarbons, resins, asphaltenes, and oxygen-containing compounds, were observed when comparing oil pollution to natural surface seepages for the first time. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that genetic parameters for diagnosing soil contamination by oil, based on biomarker composition, could include the presence of 12- and 13-methylalkanes in the hydrocarbon profile of the pollutant. These compounds are recognized as distinctive biological markers of Cambrian and Early Paleozoic oils from the Nepsko-Botuobinsk oil and gas region. Conversely, these biomarkers were absent in the natural surface oil seepages of Amga. The findings of this research may prove valuable in environmental studies, particularly in monitoring efforts aimed at identifying technogenic oil contamination in soils that are not associated with natural oil seeps.

Study on Mechanism and Effect of Different Viscosity Reducing Methods on Offshore Heavy Oil

Abstract Bohai is rich in heavy oil. And its efficient development is significant. In this essay, ordinary heavy oil and extra one were selected, and the viscosity characteristics was also investigated referring to its internal composition. And so as the reducing viscosity effects of steam, oil-soluble viscosity reducer, diesel, emulsifier, flue gas and carbon dioxide. The experimental results show that resin and asphaltene content have positive effect on the viscosity of heavy oil. Compared with ordinary heavy oil, the drop is significantly greater when the temperature increases by 10°C. For ordinary heavy oil, the inflection point temperature is from 50°C to 70°C, and for extra-heavy oil, it is above 100°C. For ordinary heavy oil, its flow effect can be better improved without too high temperature, while it’s totally different for super heavy oil. For which, higher temperature and other auxiliary viscosity reduction methods are needed to achieve better flow performance. Diesel oil reduce viscosity of heavy oil by similar solubility principle, but the demand for diesel oil is large. At 50°C, the viscosity of super heavy oil with 0.5% emulsion viscosity reducer added is 36 mPa·s, but the water content needs to reach above 30%.Oil-soluble viscosity reducer reduces viscosity by dissolving asphaltenes and resins and dismantling aggregate structure of heavy oil aromatic flakes.However, the dosage should reach about 20 %, so that the viscosity of super heavy oil can be reduced to the level of dilute oil. Overall, for developing super heavy oil, steam compound with oil soluble viscosity reducer can be taken into account at the early production stage, and the emulsion viscosity reducer can be used in the middle development stage and wellbore viscosity reduction and lifting process. Finally, for ordinary heavy oil, flue gas’s viscosity reduction effects, nitrogen and carbon dioxide are investigated. It is found that the viscosity reduction effect of carbon dioxide is the best, followed by flue gas and nitrogen. Considering the offshore gas source, cost and carbon emission requirements, it is recommended to use flue gas in the field. The research provides theoretical guidance and technical reference for development of different types of offshore heavy oil.

Performance assessment of sustainable asphalt concrete using steel slag, with an artificial neural network prediction of asphalt concrete behavior

This research evaluated the possibility of using Moroccan steelworks slag as a substitute for natural aggregates in asphalt mixtures, using chemical and mechanical analyses to demonstrate its compatibility with this application. Two granular mixtures, M1 and M2, were developed, incorporating respectively 15% and 25% natural sand (0/1.25) with slag aggregates to obtain granular mixtures complying with local standards. These mixtures were then tested with three different asphalt contents (4.7%, 5.2%, and 5.7%). Mechanical tests, including a gyratory compactor, Marshall stability, and Duriez strength, were carried out. In particular, the M1:5.2 and M2:5.2 mixtures met compaction criteria and showed remarkable Marshall Stability values, reaching 23.49 kN and 21.81 kN respectively. In comparison, the control mixtures only achieved a maximum stability of 11 kN. Thermal properties were also assessed, showing that the maximum thermal conductivity was achieved at an asphalt content of 5.2%. The slag-based mixtures, M1 and M2, showed higher thermal conductivity than the control mix M0, with maximum values of 0.74W/mK for M1 and 0.86W/mK for M2, compared with 0.56W/mK for M0. The overall results show that the M1 and M2 mixtures had improved thermal and mechanical properties compared with the M0 control mix. Artificial neural network (ANN) modelling was carried out using Marshall Test data. It showed excellent performance in predicting the stability and flow properties of asphalt mixtures. These results suggest that incorporating steelmaking slag into asphalt concrete mixtures was an effective strategy for simultaneously improving their thermal and mechanical properties.

Predicting Marshall stability and flow parameters in asphalt pavements using explainable machine-learning models

The traditional method for determining the Marshall stability (MS) and Marshall flow (MF) of asphalt pavements is laborious, time consuming, and costly. This study aims to predict these parameters using explainable machine-learning techniques. A comprehensive database comprising 721 hot mix asphalt (HMA) data points was established, including variables such as aggregate percentage, asphalt content, and specific gravity. Models were constructed using the PyCaret Python library, and their performance was assessed using metrics such as the mean absolute error (MAE) and coefficient of determination (R²). The CatBoost regression model outperformed the other models, achieving R² values of 0.835 and 0.845 for MS and MF, respectively. Additionally, Shapley values were used to quantify the variable effects on the predictions. This approach enables the efficient preselection of design variables, reducing the need for extensive laboratory testing and promoting sustainable construction practices.

Influence of replacing Portland cement with anionic asphalt emulsion on vibration damping, mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete

The effect of anionic asphalt emulsion (AE) as partial replacement of Portland cement to enhance the damping properties of concrete was examined. Five concrete mixtures were designed and prepared, increasing AE content from 0 to 40% in overall binder volume, in 10% increments. Loss factor, dynamic moduli, resonant frequencies, and compressive strength were obtained at the age of 7, 28, 90, and 180 days. Results show that the loss factor of concrete increased as the asphalt content increased, whereas the dynamic modulus and resonant frequency decreased. In addition to the viscous damping contributed by asphalt droplets, the more porous microstructure and weaker interfacial transition zones in AE modified concrete can also enhance the damping properties. However, an inverse correlation between concrete strength and damping can be observed with increasing AE content, where the substitution of AE results in a significant decrease in the compressive strength of concrete. Therefore, the anionic AE modified concrete seems to be more suitable for non-structural application where strength is not a key requirement.

200℃ ТЕМПЕРАТУРАДА АУЫР МҰНАЙДЫ БУМЕН ТЕРМИЯЛЫҚ ӨҢДЕУДІҢ ТИІМДІЛІГІН АРТТЫРУ ҮШІН БЕТТІК БЕЛСЕНДІ ЗАТТАРДЫ ҚОЛДАНУ

In the presented work influence of surfactants on of the oil transformation regularities in hydrothermal conditions was studied. The oil with density 0,9727 g/cm3 was chosen as objects of research. It has been established that the introduction of surfactants reduces the content of resinous asphaltenes as a result of peptizing action on asphaltene aggregates. As a result, more carbon-heteroatom bonds in asphaltenes are involved in the processes of destructive hydrogenation. According to the results of SARA - and chromato-mass-spectral analysis, a change of mass fractions of each fraction is observed. When using the surfactant "SA-3" the content of saturated hydrocarbons is 20% higher than in the original sample, while in the oil sample with the surfactant "SBG" the content is almost unchanged. The content of aromatic hydrocarbons increased significantly with the addition of "SBG" by 19%, and with the addition of "SA-3" by 10%, which is due to the newly formed low molecular weight saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. Asphaltene content also changed significantly, the sample with the addition of "SA-3" showed a decrease of 12% and with the addition of "Biolub green" a decrease of 9% relative to the original oil. The dynamic viscosity at 20℃ of the original oil is 3000 mPa∙s at a shear rate of 1.3 s-1. When using non-ionic surfactants of GK "Mirrico" of "Biolub green" type after the experiments, the viscosity decreases by 22%, and when adding "SA-3" surfactants by 30%. The use of surfactants in the development of heavy oil fields by steam-heat methods will increase the oil recovery factor.

Permeability and Dynamic Stability in Porous Asphalt Mixtures Using Cariphalte Asphalt and Gilsonite Additives

Porous asphalt mixture is a new generation of flexible pavement that allows water to seep into the top layer (wearing course) both vertically and horizontally. This condition is possible, because the gradation used has a coarse aggregate fraction of not less than 85% of the mixture volume. This layer uses an open gradation (open graded) which is spread over a layer of waterproof asphalt to prevent seepage into the road foundation. This porous asphalt layer can effectively provide a greater level of safety, especially during rainy times to prevent aqua-planing, resulting in rougher surface roughness and can reduce noise (noise reduction). In this research, a test will be carried out on porous asphalt with a mixture using Cariphalte modified asphalt and gilsonite as the added ingredient. Variations in asphalt content used are 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%. Determination of variations in levels of variation is based on research that has been conducted. This research involves analysis of calculation results based on experimental data from laboratory scale experiments including Marshall Testing, Immersion Index, Permeability, Slip Resistance, Dynamic Stability, and Resilient Modulus. The test results show that the smallest permeability value is in the 8% gilsonite mixture but it does not meet the requirements of AAPA 2004 so the mixture with the greatest stability value is used. From the results of dynamic stability testing, it shows that the mixture of test objects with a content of 7% gilsonite has a dynamic stability value of 5250 passes/mm at a temperature of 45°C and 3150 passes/mm at a temperature of 60°C.

Prediction of the Viscosity-Temperature Dependence of a Mixture of Oils Based on Information about the Density, Content of Paraffin, Resins, Asphaltenes and Fractional Composition

Prediction of the Viscosity-Temperature Dependence of a Mixture of Oils Based on Information about the Density, Content of Paraffin, Resins, Asphaltenes and Fractional Composition

Pilot-scale study of methane-assisted catalytic bitumen partial upgrading

The direct utilization of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils presents a formidable challenge due to their inherent physical and chemical properties such as high C/H ratio, extremely high viscosity and density, low APIo, super low mobility, high asphaltene and impurity (Fe, Ni, Co, S, N, etc.) contents. To tackle these problems cost-effectively, we have proposed and established a novel technique, distinct from conventional hydrotreating, for catalytic partial upgrading of extra heavy crudes with co-fed methane and a multi-functional catalyst. This technique has been further optimized using lab-scale batch reactors (100 mL, 300 mL), bench-scale and pilot-scale fixed bed reactors with their processing capacity of 250 mL/day and 20 L/day, respectively. The feasibility, stability, and profitability of this technique have been successfully verified using all these facilities and a wide variety of feedstock. Yet, further scale-up is necessary to advance this technique towards commercialization in industry. In this study, a pilot-scale prototype unit (processing capacity of 1 barrel/day) was designed and manufactured based upon the previous achievements, and a bitumen sample recovered from the Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) process was chosen as a typical extra heavy crude for the upgrading. A 30-day upgrading has been conducted smoothly without clogging and a liquid yield of 96.7 % was observed with remarkable enhancements in product quality. The notable decreases in density, viscosity, TAN, asphaltene content, and sulfur content were confirmed and consistent with previous results. A low olefin content implies excellent stability and compatibility of the liquid product. Additionally, a preliminary TEA (Techno-Economic Assessment) and LCA (Life-Cycle Analysis) have been conducted and the beneficial features of this novel technique have been confirmed with higher profitability, lower cost, and lower carbon footprint. This study further consolidates the advantages of this promising technique as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to hydrotreating for processing extra heavy crudes.