Francisco M. Vargas

Examining Asphaltene Solubility on Deposition in Model Porous Media

Asphaltenes are known to cause severe flow assurance problems in the near-wellbore region of oil reservoirs. Understanding the mechanism of asphaltene deposition in porous media is of great significance for the development of accurate numerical simulators and effective chemical remediation treatments. Here, we present a study of the dynamics of asphaltene deposition in porous media using microfluidic devices. A model oil containing 5 wt % dissolved asphaltenes was mixed with n-heptane, a known asphaltene precipitant, and flowed through a representative porous media microfluidic chip. Asphaltene deposition was recorded and analyzed as a function of solubility, which was directly correlated to particle size and Péclet number. In particular, pore-scale visualization and velocity profiles, as well as three stages of deposition, were identified and examined to determine the important convection-diffusion effects on deposition.

Optimized integration of renewable energy technologies into Alberta’s oil sands industry

Abstract An energy optimization model for the integration of renewable technologies into the energy infrastructure of the oil sands industry is presented. The proposed model determines the optimal configuration of oil producers and the energy infrastructure required to meet their energy demands. The model is geared toward the minimization of cost subject to carbon dioxide emission constraints. A mixed integer non-linear optimization model is developed that simultaneously optimizes capacity expansion and new investment decisions of conventional and renewable energy technologies. To illustrate its applicability, the proposed model was applied to a case study using data reported in the literature for various years of oil sands operations. A rolling horizon approach was implemented to determine the effect of investment decisions of previous operational years on the selection of new investment options. Results were compared with and without the incorporation of renewable energy technologies. The results obtained indicate that the proposed model is a practical tool that can be employed to evaluate and plan oil sands and energy producers for future scenarios. Moreover, the results show that renewable energy technologies have significant potential in reducing reliance on fossil-fuel based technologies and their associated CO2 emissions. The emission constraints set for the operational year 2025 can only be achieved by the incorporation of renewables in the energy production mix.

Experimental study of asphaltene deposition in transparent microchannels using the light absorption method

ABSTRACT This study focuses on an experimental investigation of asphaltene deposition in a vertical transparent microchannel. Heptane-induced asphaltene precipitation is utilized to precipitate dissolved asphaltene in crude oil into asphaltene particles at ambient temperature and standard atmospheric pressure. These asphaltene particles deposit gradually on the surface of microchannels. The key parameters that influence the mechanism of asphaltene deposition are the ratio of crude oil to n-heptane and experimental elapsed time. At a constant flowrate, the amount of asphaltene deposited on a transparent channel wall is quantified using a new flow visualization technique based on reflected light intensity and image analysis. Asphaltene precipitation and deposition strongly affect the reflected light intensity through the change of mixture color in the recorded images. Experimental results show that asphaltene deposition process follows three stages, (i) slow asphaltene particle deposition at the beginning of the experiment, (ii) a rapid and continuous deposition occurring after few hours and (iii) a slower deposition (decreasing deposition rate) at the end of the experimentation. The experimental results for different crude oil to n-heptane ratios illustrate that deposition increases with this ratio, i.e. increasing concentration of n-heptane. An empirical equation is developed to correlate the intensity of the light absorption to the thickness of the deposited asphaltene in a transparent microchannel. Non-uniform deposition along the longitudinal direction of the microchannel is characterized. Deposits decrease with increasing longitudinal distance from the inlet. This non-uniform deposition distribution is due to local mass transport limitations and asphaltene aggregation size effect. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Genetic algorithm for multi-parameter estimation in sorption and phase equilibria problems

ABSTRACT The techniques of applying single and multi-objective optimization (MOO) for single/multiple parameters estimation in sorption and phase equilibria calculations were demonstrated, and it was shown that non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with jumping genes adaptation is a useful tool for standard nonlinear regressions. Simultaneous description of vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) and the heat of mixing (excess enthalpy) are considered a complex task in applied thermodynamics. MOO problem for simultaneous VLE and excess enthalpy prediction was formulated by (1) transforming multi-objectives into an aggregated/single scalar objective function, and (2) formulating independent objectives and solving simultaneously. It was shown that GA leads to an entire set of equally good optimal solutions known as Pareto-optimal fronts. However, simultaneous solution of MOO problem produced a wide range Pareto-optimal solution than that of the weighted sum approach. Pareto-optimal solutions are important process knowledge from which a decision-maker can opt for any set based on the applications/requirements.

Integrated one-dimensional modeling of asphaltene deposition in wellbores/pipelines

Asphaltene deposition in wellbores/pipelines causes serious production losses in the oil and gas industry. This work presents a numerical model to predict asphaltene deposition in wellbores/pipelines. This model consists of two modules: a Thermodynamic Module and a Transport Module. The Thermodynamic Module models asphaltene precipitation using the Peng-Robinson Equation of State with Peneloux volume translation (PR-Peneloux EOS). The Transport Module covers the modeling of fluid transport, asphaltene particle transport and asphaltene deposition. These modules are combined via a thermodynamic properties lookup-table generated by the Thermodynamic Module prior to simulation. In this work, the Transport Module and the Thermodynamic Module are first verified and validated separately. Then, the integrated model is applied to an oilfield case with asphaltene deposition problem where a reasonably accurate prediction of asphaltene deposit profile is achieved.