Adsorption of Pentane Insoluble Fractions by Kaolinite: A Comparative Study of Oilsands Bitumen with Conventional and Heavy Oils

Abstract

Currently, there is an increasing trend for the petroleum refining industry to use oil sands bitumen and heavy oils as a crude source. Some of the problems associated with bitumen and heavy oil production can be attributed to the presence of clays having surfaces coated with strongly bound organic matter. Deposition of this organic rich mineral matter contributes to problems in both recovery and upgrading. Consequently, understanding the interaction between clays and organic matter is essential to the successful optimisation of heavy oil and bitumen production.
In this work we report results related to the adsorption of well-characterized pentane insoluble (PI) fractions from Athabasca oilsands bitumen on kaolinite. For comparison purposes we also examine the adsorption of PI separated from Venezuelan heavy oil, Saudi Arabian light crude oil and Chinese Daqing conventional crude oil. The unadsorbed organic matter is probed by complementary analytical techniques to determine the chemical nature of the absorbed material. The results point to selective adsorption of heteroatoms rich heavier components.