Asphaltenes precipitation from Saskatchewan crude oils: Inter-relationships between oil-asphaltenes characteristics, precipitation behavior, and inhibitor effectiveness

Considering the trend of the oil industry towards the utilization of deeper reservoirs (heavier asphaltic crudes) and the increased utilization of miscible flooding techniques for recovering oil, the role of organic deposition in the economic development of oil discoveries will be crucial. This work is aimed at utilizing results obtained from thorough oil/asphaltene characterization to relate to the asphaltene precipitation behavior and then use this knowledge to evaluate environmentally friendly chemicals for their ability to inhibit/stabilize asphaltene precipitation for oils produced during certain FOR processes. Characterization was performed using various techniques such as composition analysis, metal analysis, NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy. The precipitation behavior and additives effectiveness were evaluated using a high-pressure visual cell equipped with Solid Detection System (SDS) system for asphaltenes detection.; The effectiveness of two commercial environmentally, friendly asphaltene inhibitors nonyl phenol and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DDBSA) were compared with toluene for their ability to stabilize O-L, O-M1 and O-M2 oils. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...