In Situ Heavy Oil Upgrading Through Ultra-disperse Nano-Catalyst Injection in Naturally Fracture Reservoirs

Unconventional reservoirs are the next challenge for maintaining the world’s oil production. Several EOR processes are under study, one promising is the “In Situ Upgrading” which produces EOR and Upgrading by injection of a hot fluid, in this case vacuum residue from the heavy oil produced, with suspended nano-catalytic particles flowing down-hole along with dissolved hydrogen as precursor of partial Hydroprocessing of the residue. The combination of thermal and chemical reactions with a catalyst leads to In-Situ Upgrading (ISU) of the residue injected and the in situ oil near the surroundings of the injection well bore, while the heat carried, the diluents, the steam and hot water generated warm up the rock and the oil in the porous media, enhancing extraction. Testing the reactivity of the oil has to be assessed at temperatures, pressures and time to determine the suitability of this EOR process.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical and Petroleum Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Orozco Castillo, Carlos

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Pereira-Almao, Pedro

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Maini, Brij
• Chen, Zhangxing
• Lines, Laurence

• Engineering--Petroleum

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26556

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:11023/2792