Determination of Solubility Parameter of Methane in Heavy Oil

Paniagua Fernández, Daniela

Determination of Solubility Parameter of Methane in Heavy Oil

dc.contributor.advisor	Yarranton, Harvey
dc.contributor.author	Paniagua Fernández, Daniela
dc.contributor.committeemember	Ponnurangam, Sathish
dc.contributor.committeemember	Gates, Ian
dc.date	2021-11
dc.date.accessioned	2021-06-30T14:40:10Z
dc.date.available	2021-06-30T14:40:10Z
dc.date.issued	2021-06-24
dc.description.abstract	Asphaltenes are the least soluble fraction of crude oil and can phase separate from the oil due changes in pressure, temperature, or oil composition. Some examples where asphaltene precipitation occur in oilfield operations are: dilution of a heavy oil with an incompatible solvent (e.g. an n-alkane), depressurization of a light conventional oil during production, and gas injection into a light conventional oil reservoir. Methane is often a major component of the dissolved gases in a crude oil and has a significant negative impact in the oil’s ability to solubilize asphaltenes. The Modified Regular Solution (MRS) model has been previously used to model asphaltene precipitation from heavy oils and bitumen diluted with n-alkanes at different temperatures and pressures. The input parameters of the MRS model are the mole fractions, molar volumes, and solubility parameters of the bitumen (characterized into SARA fractions), and the n-alkane solvent. However, the MRS model is not yet able to predict asphaltene solubility in the presence of dissolved gases, such as methane, because the solubility parameter of the dissolved methane is unknown. To determine these parameters, asphaltene onsets and yields from mixtures of bitumen, n-pentane, and methane were measured at temperatures of 21 and 130°C and pressures of 10 and 60 MPa. The onsets (solvent content at which precipitation first occurred) were measured by titrating the bitumen with a mixture of methane and n-pentane in a High-Pressure Microscope. Asphaltene yields (mass of asphaltenes divided by mass of bitumen in feed) were measured in a blind cell apparatus for mixtures with the same methane content as the onset measurements. The methane solubility parameter was determined by fitting the MRS model to the measured asphaltene precipitation data. The fitted values ranged from 6.1 to 9.5 MPa0.5 depending on the temperature. A correlation for the methane solubility parameter was developed for use in the MRS model. The MRS model using the correlation matched the onsets and yields with average deviations of 1.1 wt% solvent and 8.1 wt%, respectively. The updated model now applies to in situ heavy oils that contain dissolved methane.	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Paniagua Fernández, D. (2021). Determination of Solubility Parameter of Methane in Heavy Oil (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38963
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113565
dc.language.iso	eng	en_US
dc.publisher.faculty	Schulich School of Engineering	en_US
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
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.	en_US
dc.subject	Asphaltene Precipitation	en_US
dc.subject	Bitumen	en_US
dc.subject	Phase Behavior	en_US
dc.subject	Solubility Parameter	en_US
dc.subject	Methane	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Engineering	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Chemical	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Engineering--Petroleum	en_US
dc.title	Determination of Solubility Parameter of Methane in Heavy Oil	en_US
dc.type	master thesis	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Engineering – Chemical & Petroleum	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)	en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true	en_US