On Solvent-Rich Recovery Processes
Date
2023-04-26
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Abstract
Current steam-based recovery processes such as Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) are very effective at recovering bitumen (extra heavy oil) from oil sands reservoirs but these recovery processes have significant emissions making bitumen among the most emission intensive oils globally. Solvent-based recovery processes are one option that would lower the emissions intensity of oil sands recovery yielding a potentially upgraded oil product to the surface leaving a fraction of the asphaltenes and sulphur within the reservoir. This would not only be beneficial for upstream emissions reduction but also for downstream processing emissions since there would be less petroleum coke and sulphur generated in the upgrading and refining of the upgraded oil product. However, there are many uncertainties for solvent-based recovery processes that render it a challenge to move these processes forward commercially. The research in this thesis is different than other research – it attempts to examine the solvent-based processes and the connected physical phenomena including solvent solubility, viscosity reduction in dilution, onset of asphaltene precipitation and onset of asphaltene depostion, viscosity of the upgraded oil after asphaltene precipitation, W/O emulsions in bitumen and the effect of solvent on emulsions, and an examination of the performance of solvent-based recovery processes in two-dimensional prototypical physical model experiments in a holistic manner, for the first time. The results provide new data on asphaltene, the impact of solvent dilution on viscosity before and after asphaltene precipitation onset, new solubility data, new insights from rich-solvent Hele-Shaw gravity drainage experiments, and effect of solvent on emulsions. The outcomes provide a basis for optimized design of the solvent-based recovery processes.
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Keywords
Heavy oil, Solvent recovery, Asphaltene precipitation, Solubility, Emulsion, Bitumen, Asphaltene deposition
Citation
Liu, J. (2023). On solvent-rich recovery processes (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.