Rheology and phase behavior of carbon dioxide and crude oil mixtures
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Hu, R
Crawshaw, JP
Trusler, JPM
Boek, ES
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The rheology of Zuata heavy crude oil, saturated with carbon dioxide, was studied at a temperature of 50 °C and pressures up to 220 bar. Observations of phase behavior were also reported and used to interpret the rheological data. The crude oil is very viscous and non-Newtonian at ambient pressure, but when brought into equilibrium with CO2, the non-Newtonian behavior was weakened and eventually disappeared at high CO2 pressures. When diluted with 10 and 30 wt % toluene, the diluted crude oils and their mixtures with CO2 behaved as Newtonian fluids. The CO2-saturated mixture of the crude oil samples showed an exponential decrease in viscosity with increasing CO2 pressure but an increase in viscosity at higher pressures. During observation through a view cell, the CO2 dissolution caused a swelling effect on the original crude oil. When saturated with CO2, the swelling effect also occurred on the 10 wt % diluted crude oil but the volume of the oil-rich phase was decreased at higher pressures. However, for the 30 wt % diluted crude oil, a second liquid phase was observed on top of the oil-rich phase, at pressures higher than the CO2 critical point. The mixture viscosity was inversely proportional to the CO2 solubility.
Date Issued
2016-09-22
Date Acceptance
2016-09-21
Citation
Energy & Fuels, 2016, 31 (6), pp.5776-5784
ISSN
0887-0624
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Start Page
5776
End Page
5784
Journal / Book Title
Energy & Fuels
Volume
31
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2016 American Chemical Society
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01858
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Energy & Fuels
Engineering, Chemical
Engineering
HEAVY OIL
PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION
VISCOSITY REDUCTION
PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES
CO2
BITUMEN
SYSTEMS
TEMPERATURE
PRESSURE
DIFFUSIVITY
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
Energy
Notes
doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01858
Publication Status
Published