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Heavy Oil Issues

& Solutions
Aubrey Arms
October 11, 2005
Energy Technology

Overview of presentation
Background information
Issues regarding Heavy Oil
Methods of Extraction
Comparative growth of heavy oil
Importance of improving technologies
Heavy Oil Gasification

Background

Heavy Oil has an API between 22.3 and 10


High specific gravity, low hydrogen to carbon
ratios, high carbon residues
High contents of asphaltenes, heavy metal,
sulphur and nitrogen
Majority of Heavy Oil lies in Canada, Venezuela,
and the former Soviet Union

Issues

Not recoverable in its natural state through a well by


ordinary production methods
Comprises of 15% of worlds remaining oil reserves
Normally sells at 50% discount to WTI
Used to produce lower-value products

Fuel oil verses gasoline


However, fuel oil demand has decreased

Upgrading Heavy Oil leaves behind even heavier residue


Environmental Issues

Oil Spills difficult to clean up


High content of Toxins

Methods of extraction

Conventional methods (inefficient)


Cold heavy oil production with sands (CHOPS)

Vapor extraction (VAPEX)

Inject vaporized solvents into formation


Oil flows due to gravity drainage

Experimental methods

Sand enters wellborn with oil


Increases production by 100%
Used to produce 22% of Canadas Heavy Oils

Fireflooding increases temperature and allows oil to flow easier


Solvents, electric currents, and ultrasound

Thermal in-situ recovery

Injecting steam
Recovers up to 20% of conventional heavy oil

Growth in Heavy Oil Production

Increase in
Heavy Oil

Decrease in
conventional oil

Importance of developing new


Technologies
The end of easy oil is over
Energy industry is expanding recourses to
recover difficult to remove heavy oil
Heavy Oil Gasification

Increased

value of heavy crude


Combined Deasphalting and Gasifer

Heavy Oil Gasification

Heavy Oil Gasification

Summary
Heavy Oil is more expensive to extract
and cost less than medium/light oil
Production of heaving oil is increasing
while production of medium/light oil is
decreasing
New methods are necessary to extract
heavy oil at lower cost and add value to
the product

Gasification

References

Lloydminster Oilfield Technical Society. OTS


Heavy Oil Science Centre.
http://www.lloydminsterheavyoil.com
Centre for Energy. What are oilsands and
heavy oil? www.centreforenergy.com
Wallace, Paul. Et al. Heavy Oil Upgrading by
the Separation and Gasification of Asphaltenes.
Texaco Inc. October 1998.

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