Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology
Volume 49, Number 7, July 2010, pp. 36-41

SPE-138970-PA

Evidence That Naturally Occurring Inhibitors Affect the Low-Temperature Oxidation Kinetics of Heavy Oil

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DOI  More information 10.2118/138970-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/138970-PA

Citation

  • Freitag, N.P. 2010. Evidence That Naturally Occurring Inhibitors Affect the Low-Temperature Oxidation Kinetics of Heavy Oil. J Can Pet Technol  49 (7): 36-41. SPE-138970-PA. doi: 10.2118/138970-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 6.4.5 Thermal Methods (e.g.,Steamflood, Cyclic Steam, THAI, Combustion)

Keywords

  • heavy oil, oxidation kinetics, in-situ combustion

Summary

The so-called induction period, the time delay between the initial exposure to oxygen of an oil or oil fraction and the start of rapid oxidation, was examined experimentally for the saturates fraction separated from a Lloydminster heavy oil. The observed kinetics could be explained by assuming that the saturates contained a small amount of naturally occurring oxidation inhibitors, which repressed the oxidation rates by rapidly consuming an essential intermediate in the reaction chain, but which were also gradually consumed in the process. This observation explains some of the complexity that has been seen in the oxidation rates that control combustion front development during in-situ combustion, and provides some added direction in the development of a comprehensive reaction model for this process.

© 2010. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 8 April 2009
  • Meeting paper published: 17 June 2009
  • Revised manuscript received: 16 April 2010
  • Manuscript approved: 17 April 2010
  • Published online: 1 July 2010
  • Version of record: 1 July 2010