Petroleum Analysis

摘要

After a nearly decade absence, we present a review of noteworthy contributions in petroleum analysis over the past 3 years, intentionally limited to approx250 references. The global shift to heavier petroleum slates, the exploration/production of unconventional petroleum reserves, and a growth in deep- and ultradeep water production platforms is reflected in the number of publications herein that address heavy crude oil, acids, metals, reservoir architecture, and production deposit characterization. Advances in mass spectrometry, comprehensive gas chromatography, and hybrid analytical platforms have led to an explosion in the accessible detailed (molecular-level) compositional information. Cross fertilization of compositional data provided by multiple analytical techniques clarify many issues that have been hotly debated for decades. First and foremost, the molecular weight of petroleum is now known, and claims of abundant, "high molecular weight" species (>2000 Da) are compromised by aggregation. The compositional complexity of petroleum is immense, with as many as 250 peaks identified over a single nominal mass but evolves in composition (as boiling point increases) in a predictable manner. Concern in regards to the metal content and speciation of organometallic components of heavy conventional and unconventional crude oils will continue its current trend and grow rapidly in the coming years. Petroleomics was born in an attempt to expand the pioneering work in the correlation/prediction of petroleum behavior/reactivity from detailed compositional data. High field FT-ICR mass spectrometers are now common in petroleum R&D centers where they were absent less than a decade ago. Molecular level information has become essential but has not quite found a home. The ability to generate information has exceeded our ability to consume and use it to shape decisions. Thus, the next push in the field will be to develop models (predictive tools) to capture the wealth of information now available.