The Phase Behavior of Heavy Oil and Propane Mixtures
Abstract
The phase behavior of propane diluted bitumen was mapped from temperatures between 20 and 180°C and pressures up to 10 MPa. Both vapor-liquid (VL) and liquid-liquid (LL) regions were observed. High pressure micrographs demonstrated that the heavy phase (a pitch phase) transitioned from a glass to a liquid state with increased temperature and feed propane content. Pressure-temperature and pressure-composition phase diagrams were constructed from saturation pressure and pitch phase onset data. The amount and composition of the heavy phase was also measured. Solvent-free pitch yields as high as 70 wt% of the bitumen were observed. Pseudo-ternary diagrams were also constructed to observe the partitioning of the species between the phases. Finally, the ability of a cubic equation-of-state with two forms of mixing rules were explored to model the data. The results can be used in the design of in situ and surface processes involving the addition of propane to bitumen.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Chemical, Engineering--Petroleum
Citation
Mancilla Polanco, A. A. (2017). The Phase Behavior of Heavy Oil and Propane Mixtures (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28272