02 Liquid fuels (sources, properties, recovery)

Formation as a major source to the known oil discoveries in the study Alkylcarbazoles and benrocarbazoles in petroleum reservoir core
area, the contribution of the Enping Formation source to traps in the extracts isolated from several oil columns within the Lengdong oilfield,
Huizhou Sag and surrounding area cannot be ignored. There is clear Liaohe basin, China were studied to investigate their occurrence and
evidence for the recharge of Enping Formation derived oils into early- the effect of biodegradation on their concentrations and distributions.
biodegraded oil accumulations to form light oil accumulations. Bulk petroleum composition and molecular data indicate the occur-
rence of systematic biodegradation gradients within the oil columns,
the extent of biodegradation ranging from light (level 1) to moderate
04/00074 Geochemistry, grouping and origins of crude oils (level 4-5) in Es3 columns, and from moderate (level 5) to heavy (level
in the Western Pearl River Mouth Basin, offshore South 8) in Es1 columns. Whereas carbazoles and benzocarbazoles can be
China Sea useful as migration markers in certain geological situations, the results
Huang, B. et al. Organic Geochemistry, 2003, 34, (7), 99331008. presented here indicate that biodegradation also plays a significant role
Thirty-seven crude oils and 20 source rocks were selected for detailed in controlling the distribution of carbazole compounds in reservoired
molecular geochemical and isotopic analyses in order to establish the oils. Alkylcarbazoles are generally regarded as resistant to biodegrada-
genetic relationships between the discovered oils and various pet- tion at low to moderate levels of biodegradation but at biodegradation
roleum source facies in the Western Pearl River Basin, offshore South levels greater than level 4 they may be microbially altered in a way
China Sea. Four groups of oils were identified. The Group I oils, similar to that observed for aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. The
distributed in the southwestern WC19-1 field of Wenchang B sag, are concentrations of carbazole compounds in the oils increase slightly
characterized by high abundance of 4-methyl steranes relative to during the early stages of biodegradation and then sharply decrease
regular steranes, low abundance of bicadinanes and high 6i3C values, after level 4, when preferential depletion of alkylated carbazoles
showing good correlation with the medium-deep lacustrine source compared to benzocarbazoles and dibenzocarbazoles or naphthocar-
facies in the Wenchang Formation. The Group II oils represent the bazoles is observed. The susceptibility of alkylated carbazole isomers to
majority of the discovered oil reserves in the study area, including biodegradation decreases with increasing carbon number of the alkyl
those from the Qionghai uplift and the northeast block of the WC19-1 substituents. Furthermore, nitrogen (N-H) shielded or partially
oil field. These oils have moderate concentrations of Caa 4-methylster- shielded compounds substituted in the one and/or eight positions
anes, abundant bicadinanes and low 613C values, and correlate well seem more susceptible to biodegradation than their nitrogen-exposed
with the shallow lake source facies of the Wenchang Formation in the counterparts. For example, biodegradation resulted in the preferential
Wenchang B and A sags. The group III oils, found in the Wenchang A removal of l-methylcarbazole relative to the other methylcarbazole
sag and surrounding areas, are devoid of Csa 4-methylsteranes, with isomers and among the dimethylcarbazoles; 1,8-dimethylcarbazole
abundant bicadinanes and similar Si3C values to those of the Group II seems more susceptible to biodegradation than other isomers, even
oils. These characteristics show close affinity with the coal-bearing though some exceptions do occur in the sample set. The benzocarba-
sequence in the Enping Formation, thus suggesting a coaly source for zole ratio decreased with increasing degree of biodegradation,
these oils. The Group IV oils, found only in the WC8-3 field, display Benzo[b]carbazole has the highest apparent ability to resist biodegra-
intermediate chemical compositions between the Group II and Group dation among the benzocarbazole isomers.
III oils, most likely from mixed sources in the Wenchang A sag. These
oil-source genetic relationships suggest dominantly short distance oil
migration and thus strong source facies controls on the geographic
distribution of oil and gas fields within the Western Pearl River Mouth 04100078 Initial stages of asphaltene aggregation in
Basin. dilute crude oil solutions: studies of viscosity and NMR
relaxation
Evdokimov, I. N. et al. Fuel, 2003, 82. (7), 817-823.
04/00075 Hydrothermal petroleum in the sediments of the In crude oil-toluene solutions dynamic viscosity 17 and spin-spin
Andaman Backarc Basin, Indian Ocean relaxation time T, were measured as functions of asphaltene
Venkatesan, M. I. et al. Applied Geochemistry, 2003, 18, (6), concentration C in the range of lo-300 mg/l. The results were
845-861. supplemented by studies of optical absorption. Extrema in the
Recent sediments of the Andaman Backarc Basin, Indian Ocean, measured concentration dependencies are attributed to a transient
between the Andaman Nicobar islands and the Malay Peninsula have predominance of specific asphaltene aggregates-from dimers to stacked
been analysed for biomarker lipids. Three cores were selected: one molecular nanoclusters (MNCs) of four monomers. The strikingly non-
each from the fault zone in a deep basin (a graben between two fault ideal properties of solutions with C below 150-170 mg/l are attributed
systems), another from a location adjacent to the fault, and the third to the strong interactions between asphaltene species. At higher C the
from the topographic high in the rift valley. The molecular composition solution properties are evidently determined by the weaker interacting
of the lipid classes (n-alkanes, isoprenoids, alkylbenzenes, alkylcyclo- MNCs and the concentration effects are closer to those in ideal fluid
hexanes, hopanoids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, steranes, mixtures. The observed re-entrant n(T,) behaviour in asphaltene
alcohols, sterols and fatty acids) was examined by gas chromatography solutions hypothetically has the same origin as in supercooled or
(GC) and GC/mass spectrometry to understand the nature and source demixing molecular systems, where anomalous structural and dynami-
of the hydrocarbons present and the processes of maturation of organic cal features are often explained by emerging heterogeneity due to
matter. The data show that the hydrocarbons are of hydrothermal transient spontaneous clustering.
origin, derived from thermal alteration of sedimentary organic matter,
consisting of a mixture predominantly of marine-derived components
with some terrestrial inputs. Normal alcohols and fatty acids also
corroborate the distribution of rz-alkanes. The distribution profiles and 04/00079 Local rock mechanical knowledge improves
various parameters computed from the concentration of the target drilling performance in fractured formations at the Heidrun
compounds suggest that oxidative reactions and microbial degradation field
in this environment are insignificant. Triterpane and PAH compo- Stjern, G. et al. Journal oj’Petroleurw Science and Engineering, 2003, 38,
sitions indicate that the thermal maturity of the bitumen in the samples (3-4), 83-96.
is comparable to or lower than that found at other hydrothermal Despite the use of inhibitive water-based mud (KC]), high pump rates
regions such as the Northern Juan de Fuca Ridge, Guaymas Basin and to obtain good hole cleaning and relatively high mudweight, problems
Escanaba Trough. with cavings, pack-offs and lost circulation persisted when drilling
Tertiary shale formations in the Heidrun field offshore Mid-Norway. A
study was therefore initiated, including extensive data collection
04/00076 Improving flow properties of heavy crude (logging and coring of the shale) and subsequent core testing, data
petroleum analysis and evaluation of field experience. The study showed that the
Khan, M. R. et al. PCT Int. Appl. WO 03 35,802 (Cl. ClOG9/00), 1 major problem zone was not the low-density zone as anticipated.
May 2003, Appl. 2001/US50~791. However, the core revealed a fractured and crushed zone, which was
The flow properties of crude petroleum having an API gravity of -6 to eventually found to be the main source of the problem. The study has
12 are improved by heating the crude petroleum to a temperature of resulted in a new strategy. An improved borehole stability model has
x35-200’ and, in the presence of a suitable viscosity reducing additive, been established, and the mud and operational strategies have been
shearing the heated crude petroleum with a high shearing force revised. The mudweight has been reduced, the salt content of the mud
sufficient to reduce the viscosity of the crude petroleum to a range of has been reduced and good hole cleaning is obtained through a low-
x250 cP (9 to =lOOO cP). Suitable viscosity reducing additives include viscosity mud, which is kept close to turbulent flow. Furthermore, if
gasoline, naphtha, butanol, petroleum ether, diesel fuel, citrus oil possible, wells are now planned without steering in these formations. If
based cleansers and degreasers, and mixtures thereof. steering cannot be omitted, 3-D rotary steerable systems are utilized.
An economic evaluation of the study was also performed, showing a
substantial benefit/cost ratio. So far, the cost reduction for an average
04100077 Influence of biodegradation on carbazole and well is close to 20 MNOK (ca. US$2.5 million). With more than 50
benzocarbazole distributions in oil columns from the Liaohe wells left to drill in the field, the potential for cost-saving is large.
basin, NE China Additionally, there is a huge and non-quantified effect from acceler-
Huang, H. et al. Organic Geochemistry, 2003, 34, (7), 951-969. ated production.

Fuel and Energy Abstracts January 2694 I I