THERMO-CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR IMPROVING PROPERTIES IN HEAVY AND EXTRA HEAVY CRUDE OILS WITHIN A BOREHOLE.

摘要

The present invention refers to a thermo-catalytic process useful in the oil industry for improving properties in heavy and extra heavy crude oils within boreholes (in-situ combustion and catalysts), crudes having an API gravity of from about 6 degrees to about 14 degrees, and viscosities of up to 60,000 cSt, at a temperature of 25 degree C. The improvement of crude oil is performed by using polymetallic catalysts pertaining to the Groups VB, VIB and VIII B of the periodic table of elements, the catalysts being supported in alumina as well as Molybdenum, Iron, Cobalt and Nickel-based organic-metallic compounds that are soluble into hydrogen-donor compounds, this latter compounds forming highly dispersed molecules in asphaltene and resin micelles, or in organic-metallic compounds reacting with alkylated imidazolium (ionic liquids), which are highly miscible in crude oil, and in a homogeneous phase therewith. The catalysts of the aqueous solution are mixed with the hydrocarbon at temperatures of from about 200 degree C to about 250 degree C in order to be activated. The mixture including the crude and the catalytic solution was evaluated in batch reactors of from about 100 ml to about 1,800 ml, the mixture was subsequently pressurised with hydrogen of from about 70 Kg/cm2 to about 200 Kg/cm2, thus increasing temperature to about 250 degree C to about 400 degree C, provoking asphaltene and resin molecules to break, and removing sulphur, nitrogen and heavy metal compounds. API gravity of crude oils was therefore increased from about 4 degrees to about 14 degrees, and the viscosity reduced down to 7.2 cSt, at a temperature of 25 degree C.