We are currently working on migrating the OAPEN Library to the CERN Data Center. During this time, no new titles will be added to the Library or current titles will be updated.
Thank you for your patience!
Processing of Heavy Crude Oils
Challenges and Opportunities
Contributor(s)
Gounder, Ramasamy Marappa (editor)
Collection
Knowledge Unlatched (KU)Number
104995Language
EnglishAbstract
Unconventional heavy crude oils are replacing the conventional light crude oils slowly but steadily as a major energy source. Heavy crude oils are cheaper and present an opportunity to the refiners to process them with higher profit margins. However, the unfavourable characteristics of heavy crude oils such as high viscosity, low API gravity, low H/C ratio, chemical complexity with high asphaltenes content, high acidity, high sulfur and increased level of metal and heteroatom impurities impede extraction, pumping, transportation and processing. Very poor mobility of the heavy oils, due to very high viscosities, significantly affects production and transportation. Techniques for viscosity reduction, drag reduction and in-situ upgrading of the crude oil to improve the flow characteristics in pipelines are presented in this book. The heavier and complex molecules of asphaltenes with low H/C ratios present many technological challenges during the refining of the crude oil.
Keywords
Technology & Engineering; PetroleumDOI
https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.74912ISBN
9781839684111Publisher
InTechOpenPublisher website
https://www.intechopen.com/Publication date and place
2019Grantor
Imprint
IntechOpenClassification
Petroleum technology