Mechanism of surfactant peptization in the process hydrocatalytic degradation of asphaltenes in heavy oils

Injection of destructive hydrogenation catalysts into heavy oil reservoirs is a technology that has already been implemented in the fields. Effect of catalysts in oil refining and viscosity reduction. The main reason for such reduction is intensive catalytic breakdown of carbon-heteroatom bonds in asphaltene molecules. In most of the realized projects, the catalysts are formed in situ by decomposition of a pre-introduced precursor containing catalytically active metals. There has been evidence that the presence of certain surfactants significantly enhances the efficiency of such catalysts. These surfactants were thought to peptization asphaltene agglomerates, involve more asphaltenes in the degradation processes and hence increase the asphaltene conversion rate. In this work, synthesis of a nanoscale catalyst derived from NaNiO2 under hydrothermal conditions was investigated, employing the use of two thermally stable non-ionic surfactants. The combination of aquathermolysis catalysts with surfactants provides oil refining mainly due to thermal degradation of heavy fractions such as resins and asphaltenes. Concurrently, there is a significant reduction of asphaltene fraction content up to 40 %, as well as an increase in the content of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in heavy oil by 20 and 30 % accordingly. The content of gaseous C2-C4 alkenes increased by 45 %. Complete neutralization of H2S was observed when surfactants and Na-containing precursors were injected together. Asphaltene degradation was the main contributor to the 70 % reduction in oil viscosity. This technology of combined catalyst and surfactant injection for heavy oil refining is effective and environmentally safe due to H2S neutralization.