Hassanzadeh, HassanAbedi, JalalZirrahi, Mohsen2016-01-132016-01-132016-01-132016Zirrahi, M. (2016). Experimental and Modeling Phase Behaviour Studies of Water-Solvent-Bitumen System (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26051http://hdl.handle.net/11023/2741Solvent-aided thermal recovery methods for production of bitumen and heavy oils have recently gained interest. In these methods, mixture of saturated steam and solvent is co-injected into bitumen and heavy oil reservoirs. Measurement and thermodynamic modeling of phase behaviour and thermo-physical properties are necessary for finding better understandings of complex systems of water-solvent-bitumen and more accurate numerical simulation and optimization of solvent-aided thermal recovery methods. In this work, binary systems of water-solvent, water-bitumen and solvent-bitumen were studied. For each binary system, a specified experimental apparatus was designed and fabricated. Water solubility in bitumen was measured at temperature ranges up to 493 K. Density and viscosity of bitumen rich phase were measured to investigate effect of water dissolution on thermo-physical properties of bitumen phase. For solvent-water system, water content of methane, ethane and propane were measured at high temperatures and moderate pressures. Solubility of methane, ethane, propane and butane in MacKay River bitumen were measured as well as density and viscosity of solvent-saturated bitumen phase. Cubic-plus-association equation of state (CPA-EoS) was used to model the phase behaviour of the binary systems. Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK) equation of state combined with Wertheim’s first-order thermodynamic perturbation theory (TPT-1) were used to treat the physical and association interactions, respectively. The results showed that CPA-EoS accurately reproduces the solubility data of water content of n-alkane solvents, water solubility in bitumen, and solvent solubility in bitumen accurately. Ternary system of water-solvent-bitumen was studied by measurement of solvent solubility in bitumen as well as density and viscosity of bitumen rich phase in the presence and absence of water. The results showed that the presence of water decreases the solvent solubility in bitumen phase. CPA-EoS tuned using the experimental solubility data of the binary systems was found capable in representing the phase behaviour of the ternary system. Correlations were developed for density and viscosity of bitumen rich phase using the experimental data of the binary systems.engUniversity 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.Engineering--PetroleumBitumenSolvent Aided Thermal Recovery MethodCubic-plus-association equation of statewater-solvent-bitumen systemdoctoral thesis10.11575/PRISM/26051