Heavy crude oil

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Heavy crude oil or extra heavy crude oil is oil that is highly viscous, and cannot easily flow to production
wells under normal reservoir conditions.(Mai)[1]It is referred to as "heavy" because itsdensity or specific
gravity is higher than that of light crude oil. Heavy crude oil has been defined as any liquid petroleum with
an API gravity less than 20.(Dusseault 2001)[2] Physical properties that differ between heavy crude oils and
lighter grades include higher viscosity and specific gravity, as well as heavier molecular composition. In
2010, the World Energy Council defined extra heavy oil as crude oil having a gravity of less than 10 and a
reservoir viscosity of no more than 10 000 centipoises. When reservoir viscosity measurements are not
available, extra-heavy oil is considered by the WEC to have a lower limit of 4 API.(WEC 2007)[3](i.e. with
density greater than 1000 kg/m3 or, equivalently, a specific gravity greater than 1 and a reservoir viscosity
of no more than 10,000 centipoises.[4][5] Heavy oils and asphalt are dense nonaqueous phase
liquids (DNAPLs). They have a "low solubility and are with viscosity lower and density higher than water.
(2003 & Llamas 118)[6] "Large spills of DNAPL will quickly penetrate the full depth of the aquifer and
accumulate on its bottom."(2008 & Vrba 23)[7]
Heavy crude oil is closely related to natural bitumen from oil sands. Petroleum geologists categorize
bitumen from oil sands as "extra-heavy oil" due to its density of less than 10 API. [8] Bitumen is the
heaviest, thickest form of petroleum.[9] According to the U.S. Geological Survey, bitumen is further
distinguished as extra-heavy oil with a higher viscosity (i.e., resistance to flow): "Natural bitumen, also
called tar sands or oil sands, shares the attributes of heavy oil but is yet more dense and viscous. Natural
bitumen is oil having a viscosity greater than 10,000 cP." [8] "Natural bitumen (often called tar sands or oil
sands) and heavy oil differ from light oils by their high viscosity (resistance to flow) at reservoir
temperatures, high density (low API gravity), and significant contents of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur
compounds and heavy-metal contaminants. They resemble the residuum from the refining of light oil. Most
heavy oil is found at the margins of geologic basins and is thought to be the residue of formerly light oil that
has lost its light-molecular-weight components through degradation by bacteria, water-washing, and
evaporation. Conventional heavy oil and bitumens differ in the degree by which they have been degraded
from the original crude oil by bacteria and erosion."(Meyer & 2003 1) Often, bitumen is more viscous than
cold molasses and does not flow at ambient conditions.[9]
According to World Resources Institute, concentrations of remarkable quantities of heavy oil and oil sands
are found in Canada and Venezuela.[2][10] The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported in 2001
that the largest reserves of heavy crude oil in the world were located north of the Orinoco river 270-mile
long by 40-mile wide Orinoco Belt in eastern Venezuela. At that time Venezuela began authorizing "joint
ventures to upgrade the extra-heavy crude resources."

[11]

Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) at that

time estimated that there were 270 billion barrels of recoverable reserves in the area, [11] the same amount
as the conventional oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.[12] The Orinoco Belt in Venezuela is sometimes described
as oil sands, but these deposits are non-bituminous, falling instead into the category of heavy or extra-

heavy oil due to their lower viscosity.[13] Natural bitumen and extra-heavy oil differ in the degree by which
they have been degraded from the original conventional oils by bacteria. According to the WEC, extraheavy oil has "a gravity of less than 10 API and a reservoir viscosity of no more than 10,000 centipoise".
[4]

Thirty or more countries are known to have reserves.

Production, transportation, and refining of heavy crude oil present special challenges compared to light
crude oil. Generally, a diluent is added at regular distances in a pipeline carrying heavy crude to facilitate its
flow. Dilbit(diluted bitumen) is a means of transporting highly viscous hydrocarbon. Per the Alberta Oil
Sands Bitumen Valuation Methodology, "Dilbit Blends" means "Blends made from heavy crudes and/or
bitumens and a diluent usually condensate, for the purpose of meeting pipeline viscosity and density
specifications, where the density of the diluent included in the blend is less than 800 kg/m3." [14][15]
Contents
[hide]

1 Economics

2 Extraction

3 Environmental impact

4 Geological origin

5 Chemical properties

6 See also

7 References

8 External links

Economics[edit]
Heavy crude oils provide an interesting situation for the economics of petroleum development. The
resources of heavy oil in the world are more than twice those of conventional light crude oil. In October
2009, the United States Geological Survey updated the Orinoco deposits (Venezuela) recoverable value to
513 billion barrels (8.161010 m3),[16] making this area the one of the world's largest recoverable oil deposit.
However, recovery rates for heavy oil are often limited from 5-30% of oil in place. The chemical makeup is
often the defining variable in recovery rates. Technology utilized for the recovery of heavy oil has steadily
increased recovery rates.[17]
On one hand, due to increased refining costs and high sulfur content for some sources, heavy crudes are
often priced at a discount to lighter ones. The increased viscosity and density also makes production more

difficult (see reservoir engineering). On the other hand, large quantities of heavy crudes have been
discovered in the Americas including Canada, Venezuela and California. The relatively shallow depth of
heavy oil fields[18] (often less than 3000 feet) can contribute to lower production costs; however, these are
offset by the difficulties of production and transport that render conventional production methods ineffective.
[18]

Specialized techniques are being developed for exploration and production of heavy oil.

Extraction[edit]

Steam is injected into many oil fields where the oil is thicker and heavier than normal crude oil

Production of heavy oil is becoming more common in many countries, with 2008 production led by Canada
and Venezuela.[18] Methods for extraction include Cold heavy oil production with sand, steam assisted
gravity drainage, steam injection, vapor extraction, Toe-to-Heel Air Injection (THAI), andopen-pit mining for
extremely sandy and oil-rich deposits.

Environmental impact[edit]
With current production and transportation methods, heavy crudes have a more severe environmental
impact than light ones. With more difficult production comes the employment of a variety of enhanced oil
recovery techniques, including steam flooding and tighter well spacing, often as close as one well per acre.
Heavy crude oils also carry contaminants. For example, Orinoco extra heavy oil contains 4.5% sulfur as
well as vanadium andnickel.[19] However, because crude oil is refined before use, generating specific
alkanes via cracking and fractional distillation, this comparison is not valid in a practical sense. Heavy
crude refining techniques may require more energy input[citation needed] though, so its environmental impact is
presently more significant than that of lighter crude if the intended final products are light hydrocarbons
(gasoline motor fuels). On the other hand heavy crude is better source for road asphalt mixes than light
crude.[citation needed]

With present technology, the extraction and refining of heavy oils and oil sands generates as much as three
times the total CO2 emissions compared to conventional oil,[20] primarily driven by the extra energy
consumption of the extraction process (which may include burning natural gas to heat and pressurize the
reservoir to stimulate flow). Current research into better production methods seek to reduce this
environmental impact.[citation needed]
In a 2009 report, the National Toxics Network, citing data provided by the Carbon Dioxide Information
Analysis Center of the government of the United States and the Canadian Association of Petroleum
Producers (CAPP), emissions of CO2 per unit of energy produced were ~84% of those for coal
(0.078/0.093), higher than CO2 emissions of conventional oil.[21]
Environmental Research Web has reported that "because of the energy needed for extraction and
processing, petroleum from Canadian oil tar sands has higher life cycle emission" versus conventional
fossil fuels; "up to 25% more."[22]

Geological origin[edit]
Most geologists agree that crude becomes "heavy" as a result of biodegradation, in which lighter ends are
preferentially consumed by bacterial activity in the reservoir, leaving heavier hydrocarbons behind. This
hypothesis leans heavily on the techniques of petroleum geochemistry. Poor geologic reservoir
sealing exposes the hydrocarbon to surface contaminants, including organic life (such as bacteria) and
contributes to this process.[citation needed]
Heavy oils can be found in shallow, young reservoirs, with rocks from the Pleistocene, Pliocene,
and Miocene[18] (younger than 25 million years). In some cases, it can also be found in
olderCretaceous, Mississippian, and Devonian reservoirs. These reservoirs tend to be poorly sealed,
resulting in heavy oil and oil-sands.[citation needed]

Chemical properties[edit]
Heavy oil is asphaltic and contains asphaltenes and resins. It is "heavy" (dense and viscous) due to the
high ratio of aromatics and naphthenes to linear alkanes and high amounts of NSO's
(nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen and heavy metals). Heavy oil has a higher percentage of compounds with over 60
carbon atoms and hence a high boiling point and molecular weight. For example, theviscosity of
Venezuela's Orinoco extra-heavy crude oil lies in the range 10005000 cP (15 Pas), while Canadian
extra-heavy crude has a viscosity in the range 500010,000 cP (510 Pas), about the same as molasses,
and higher (up to 100,000 cP or 100 Pas for the most viscous commercially exploitable deposits). [2] A
definition from the Chevron Phillips Chemical company is as follows:
The "heaviness" of heavy oil is primarily the result of a relatively high proportion of a mixed bag of complex,
high molecular weight, non-paraffinic compounds and a low proportion of volatile, low molecular weight
compounds. Heavy oils typically contain very little paraffin and may or may not contain high levels of
asphaltenes.[23]

There are two main types of heavy crude oil:

1. Those that have over 1% sulfur (high sulfur crude oils), with aromatics and asphaltenes, and these
are mostly found in North America (Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan), United
States(California), Mexico), South America (Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador) and the Middle
East (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia).
2. Those that have less than 1% sulfur (low sulfur crude oils), with aromatics, naphthenes and resins,
and these are mostly found in Western Africa (Chad), Central Africa (Angola) and East
Africa (Madagascar).