Ionic Liquid Composition for Heavy Crude Oil Viscosity Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for enhancing the mobility of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils are limited by high viscosity and low rock permeability, leading to inefficient recovery and handling challenges, with existing solutions often causing environmental concerns and requiring expensive solvents.
Innovation Solution
A chemical composition comprising ionic liquids or modified ionic liquids, combined with a dispersant and surfactant, is injected into the crude oil to reduce viscosity and interfacial tension, allowing for improved mobility and handling by forming water-oil emulsions and disrupting asphaltene aggregation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If organic volatile solvents are used to improve the mobility of heavy crude oils, then the viscosity is reduced and mobility is improved, but the cost increases significantly and environmental concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using ionic liquids with specific structures (imidazolium, pyridinium, ammonium cations with various anions) instead of conventional organic solvents. These ionic liquids modify the viscosity and interfacial tension of heavy crude oils through electrostatic interactions and solvation effects, achieving mobility improvement without the environmental harm and high costs associated with volatile organic solvents
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite chemical compositions comprising multiple ionic liquid components (different cations and anions) combined with conventional solvents or surfactants. This composite approach synergistically enhances the viscosity reduction effect while maintaining environmental compatibility and cost-effectiveness, resolving the contradiction between mobility improvement and environmental/cost concerns
2Quantity of substance
If heavy and extra-heavy crude oils are extracted and transported, then energy resources are recovered, but the high viscosity causes handling difficulties and transportation inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies ionic liquids to change the rheological parameters of heavy crude oils by reducing viscosity through molecular interactions. The ionic liquids disrupt the aggregation of asphaltene molecules and modify the interfacial tension, enabling efficient extraction and transportation of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils that would otherwise be too viscous for practical handling
Solution Approach 2:
The ionic liquids act as intermediary substances between the heavy crude oil and the transportation system. They mediate the flow properties by forming temporary complexes with asphaltene molecules and reducing interfacial tension, thereby enabling efficient recovery and transportation without requiring extreme heating or dilution with large volumes of light solvents
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional extraction methods are used for heavy crude oils, then extraction can be performed with simple equipment, but the recovery rate is limited to 15-30% due to high viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces ionic liquids to change the physical-chemical parameters of heavy crude oils in situ during extraction. The ionic liquids reduce viscosity and modify interfacial tension properties, enabling recovery rates to increase from 15-30% to potentially 60-80% while maintaining relatively simple extraction equipment and processes
Solution Approach 2:
The ionic liquids enable the heavy crude oil to become self-flowing by reducing its viscosity through molecular interactions. The treated oil essentially services its own transportation by becoming sufficiently mobile to flow through the extraction equipment and collection systems without requiring excessive external energy input or complex processing
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition achieves a substantial viscosity reduction of up to 99.6% in heavy crude oils, enhancing well productivity, reducing transportation costs, and improving operational sustainability by facilitating easier pumping and processing.
Implementation Method 1
The chemical composition comprises or consists of a combination of systems based on ionic and non-ionic liquids... which are dispersed, either in water or organic solvents... to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oils
Implementation Method 2
allowing for improved mobility and handling by forming water-oil emulsions
Implementation Method 3
disrupting asphaltene aggregation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the use of a chemical composition to modify the physical properties (viscosity and interfacial tension) of heavy and extra-heavy crude oils, to increase their mobility. The chemical composition comprises or consists of a combination of systems based on ionic and non-ionic liquids, which may be pure or modified, mixed in an aqueous or organic medium as a dispersing agent, depending on the nature of the crude to be treated, together with a surfactant. The composition is mixed with the crude oil at a temperature between 5 and 100° C., at pressures from 1 atm (14.7 psi) up to about 680.2 atm (10,000 psi). The composition can be mixed with heavy crude oils, at the point of extraction from the well in the field, during the transport of crude oil in pipelines, or in the well discharge pipelines.