Viscosity reduction of acidic heavy oil through emulsification: effects of salinity and pH |
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| Authors: | Wanfen Pu Shishi Pang Xingjian Tang Bowen Chen Zilai Mei |
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| Affiliation: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, China;2. International Cooperation Department, Southwest Oil and Gas Field, Chengdu, China |
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| Abstract: | In this research, sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS) was selected as emulsifying viscosity reducer through a great number of laboratory experiments and then the effects of salinity and pH on viscosity reduction effects were evaluated. The result showed that higher salinity would result in emulsion viscosity enhancement. Compared with neutral pH conditions (pH =7), both acidic and basic conditions would promote emulsion viscosity reduction. When pH >7, generated O/W emulsions were much more stable than all other emulsions. Detailed compositional characterization of petroleum acid through a high resolution mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) proved that carboxylic acid and phenols inside petroleum acid would react with OH- at basic conditions and produce some natural surfactants. Theses natural surfactants could work synergistically with SDS and further improve emulsion stability. |
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| Keywords: | acidic heavy oil emulsifying viscosity reduction high resolution mass spectrometer interfacial tension measurement salinity and pH |
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