Technologies for reducing the viscosity of crude oil
AssigneeSouthwest Research Institute
InventorsJames Wood, Sergio Treviño
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Technologies for reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil are disclosed. In embodiments the technologies utilize a combination of a processing additive composition (PAC) and hydrodynamic cavitation to produce an oil composition having a viscosity V2, wherein V2 is at least 40% less than a viscosity V1 of untreated heavy crude oil. PACs, systems for reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil using a combination of a PAC and hydrodynamic cavitation, and methods for reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil with a combination of a PAC and hydrodynamic cavitation are also disclosed.
Claims12
A method of reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil, comprising:
- forming a first oil composition by combining at least a processing additive composition with a heavy crude oil having a viscosity V1, said processing additive comprising from 10 to 30 weight % of at least one aromatic solvent comprising one or more of methylbenzene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, ethyl-benzene, p-xylene, or phenol, from 30 to 70 weight % of a base solvent comprising a heavy aromatic naphtha, from 2.5 to 12.5 weight percent of at least one liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon and from 2.5 to 15 weight percent of an organic solvent comprising one or more of n-methyl pyrrolidone, benzyl alcohol, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether or ester based solvents;
- and
- subjecting the first oil composition to hydrodynamic cavitation to produce a second oil composition with a viscosity V2;
- wherein V2 is at least 40% less than V1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.