APPLICATION OF A CHEMICAL COMPOSITION FOR VISCOSITY MODIFICATION OF HEAVY AND EXTRA-HEAVY CRUDE OILS

摘要

The present invention is related to the application and 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 consists of the combination of systems based on ionic liquids or non-ionic liquids, depending on the character of the crude oil to be treated with, or its original modification by polymerization reaction of such liquid with oxirane; these chemicals can be dispersed in the aqueous or organic media; in the first case the composition that is dispersed in the aqueous phase is used at temperatures between 5 and 90 °C, with pressures from 1 up to about 340.23 atm (i.e., 5,000 psi), and under acid-base er within the pH range of 4 to12.5; though one prefers a basic scheme for certain crude oils, i.e., a pH between 7 and 12.5; however, other crudes are better handled under neutral conditions or even acidic conditions, for example those with a pH between 4 and 7; in the second case, the dispersant is organic and consists of a composition of at least one generic solvent and up to three, together with a surfactant that can be based on amphiphile, i.e., sulphonic moiety with hydrocarbon chain, with 12 to 16 carbons and a cation based on alkylamine, in the proportions mentioned in the body of the invention. The applications of interest may occur at various stages during operation with heavy crude oils, from the stage of extraction from the well in the field, or during the transport of crude oil in surface pipelines, or even in the well discharge pipelines; Its use can be performed using a mixing unit in addition of pumping unit with enough pressure to inject the chemical composition, which provokes a substantial reduction of the original fluid viscosity, thus improving te operation during the stages of production, transportation and processing of the heavy and extra-heavy crudes. The chemical composition consists of a combination of systems based on ionic and non-ionic liquids, which may be pure or modified, mixed in dispersing agent, either aqueous or organic, depending on the nature of the crude to be treated with, together with a surfactant, where the composition is used in conditions of temperature between and 100 °C, at pressures from 1 atm (14.7 psi) up to about 680.2 atm (10,000 psi).