Centre of excellence new technologies of high-viscosity oil and natural bitumen production

In the field of enhancing the efficiency of hydrocarbons extraction we focus activities of the Centre on development of methods for in situ oil refining (aqua thermolysis, in situ combustion, use of catalysts) and development of methods for ground control of processes indicators inside the reservoir.

The following world-class laboratories were launched at the Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies within the framework of Centre of Excellence in New Technologies of High-viscosity Oil and Natural Bitumen Production:

• Thermodynamic and rheological features of high-viscosity oil and non-conventional hydrocarbons
• In-situ catalytic refining of high-viscosity oil, including nanophase catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis and geocatalysis
• Research of in situ combustion process

To advance research in the area of enhanced oil recovery KFU plans to organise a Centre for studying unconventional sources of hydrocarbons and developing technology for enhancing oil recovery of layers, investigation of the processes of oil extraction, as well as solving practical tasks on the basis of complex geochemical, lithologic and petrographic, petrophysic, hydrodynamic research.

The Center carries out interdisciplinary research in the following areas:

• studies of thermodynamic characteristics of unconventional hydrocarbons and their major components (thermal stability, phase transitions and higher calorific values);
• studies of kinetic parameters of catalytic and non￾catalytic oxidation of crude oils in porous media; 
• identification of general “composition-property” and “structure-property” relationships within thermocatalytic (in-situ combustion, aqua￾thermolysis) crude oil refining in porous media (elemental and fraction composition of crude oil, properties of rock, structure of chemical reagents used, etc.); 
• development of general thermodynamic model of in￾situ combustion based on the laboratory and oil-field data;
• development of catalytic systems for in-situ refining of heavy crude oils with a view to enhance oil recovery, simplify the subsequent preparation, transportation and processing of hydrocarbons;
• development of methods for control of combustion front on the basis of measurements of magnetic properties of rock before and after thermocatalytic stimulation;
• development of our own software as an additive module to the well-known commercial products for oil recovery modelling;
• provision of complex recommendations for effective usage of thermal and thermocatalytic technologies of unconventional hydrocarbons recovery in certain fileds of oil companies;
• training qualified personnel in the field of oil production and refining in the framework of new interdisciplinary Master's Degree programs and supplementary education.

Unique equipment of the Centre

Research Centre is fitted with all the necessary set of equipment and experimental techniques, which allow to pursue a full cycle of R&D works in the field of thermal and catalytic methods of enhanced oil recovery.

STA 449C Jupiter+QMS 403C Aeolos Netzsch Simultaneous thermogravimetry + differential scanning calorimetry + mass spectrometry technique (three techniques in one device)

- Temperature range: room temperature – 1500 C;

- Heating and cooling rates: 0.01 K/min – 50 K/min;

- Mass of sample: 1 – 5000 mg;

- Atmosphere: inert, oxidative, static, replacement, dynamic;

- Simultaneous thermal experiments with mass-spectrometry analysis are available;

- Equipped with a unique system PulseTA

Measured heat effect (heat, enthalpy); temperature of fusion, crystallization, re-crystalization, phase transition, glass transition, chemical reaction, thermal degradation; loss of mass; remaining mass and oxidation temperature etc. Mass-spectrometry gives an opportunity to analyze gaseous products.

Accelerating Rate Calorimeter ARC? 254 (Adiabatic reactionary calorimetry)

This equipment is used for physical-chemical studies of oxidation and pyrolysis of crude oils and bitumen as well as behavior of explosive and thermally unstable compounds. This equipment has special VariPhi module, that enables to study reactions in different modes, and an injection system for input of liquid and gaseous compounds during the experiments. Heating rate: 0.01 - 10 K/min

Temperature range: 0-550˚С

Pressure range: 0-600 bars

Sample volume: 0.,5 – 130 ml

Ramped Temperature Oxidation (RTO) (Plant for Oil Oxidation Studies under Linear Temperature Change)

This plant is used for modeling reservoir in-situ combustion conditions, studies of oil oxidation kinetics in porous media (activation energy), estimation of amount of coke formed. The obtained results can be applied for assessment of field suitability to its development by the in-situ combustion technology.