Emulsification of Athabasca bitumen by organic alkali: Emulsion phase behavior and viscosity for bitumen/brine/triethylenetetramine

摘要

Recovery of bitumen commonly uses steam assisted-gravity drainage, in which water throughput is intrinsically high. A large amount of condensed water near thermal fronts tends to substantially decrease the effective permeability to bitumen in the conventional gravity drainage process. This research investigates a potential way to use the condensed-water phase as an effective carrier for bitumen by making oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion. The expected mechanism depends on emulsification of bitumen into the water phase by natural surfactants that are generated through reactions of acidic oil components with organic alkali.