SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING THE HEAVY PHASE OF HEAVY AND EXTRA-HEAVY CRUDE OILS BY USING A SOLVENT IN SUBCRITICAL CONDITIONS

摘要

The invention relates to a system of removing heavy crude oil fractions which can be easily adapted to the fields of heavy crude oil and extra-heavy crude oil production, owing to the simplicity of its steps and equipment, high energy efficiency, solvent recovery and recirculation, reduced operating complexity, and greater cost-benefit ratio in comparison with existing technologies. The method in question enables improved crude oil to be obtained at the production site, which improved crude oil, depending on the load, may be transported with or without the use of diluent, with the content of heavy metals and sulphur being reduced to values of between 40 wt.% and 70 wt.% and between 20 wt.% and 35 wt.%, respectively. In addition, the method enables the API to be increased by more than three degrees and the viscosity to be reduced to approximately 99%. A co-product of this method is a solid hydrocarbon, consisting principally of asphaltenes and resins, the characteristics of which enable it to be used as fuel for generating energy in state of the art equipment. This energy can be used to meet the energy needs of the method to which this invention relates and the associated field of production.