Laboratory Experiments and Field Test of a Difunctional Catalyst for Catalytic Aquathermolysis of Heavy Oil

A kind of difunctional catalyst—alkyl ester sulfonate copper, which not only has the catalytic center but also has the hydrogen precursor structure—was synthesized for the first time. It has been used for catalytic aquathermolysis of super heavy oils both in the laboratory and field. The laboratory experimental results show that, although its viscosity is about 1.81 × 105 mPa·s at 70 °C, the viscosity of heavy oil could be reduced by 90.72% using 0.3 wt % catalyst at 240 °C for 24 h, with 10.12% in conversion of heavy content to light content. To evaluate the catalyst’s high performance, the structure and group compositions of the oil were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), elemental analysis (EL), gel permeation chromatrography (GPC), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). It is found that the catalyst can not only enhance the viscosity reduction of heavy oil, but also remove some heteroatoms from its molecules, finally make the flow properties better and the quality upgrading. In field tests of the F10223 well of the Xinjiang Oilfield, the preliminary result has also proved the evident effects of the catalyst. Additionally, in view of the environmentally friendly and low toxicity of the catalyst, it will be beneficial for supporting a vast array of environmental, health, and safety (HSE) standards and is likely to have some good application prospects.

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