The Chemistry of Alberta Oil Sands, Bitumens and Heavy Oils Otto P. Strausz Elizabeth M. Lown Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry University of Alberta University of Alberta The Alberta Energy Research Institute and Her Majes.ty the Queen in right of Alberta make no warranty, express or implied-, nor assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, contained in this publication, nor that use thereof will not infringe on -privately owned ights. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein, do not necessarily reflect 'those of'the Alberta Energy Research Institute or'Her Majesty the Queen in. right of Alberta, The Government of Alberta, its officers, employees, agents, and consultants are exempted, excluded and absolved from all liability for damage or 'injury, howsoever caused, to any person in connection with or arising out of'the use by that person for any purpose -ofthis publication or its contents. Copyright © Dr. Otto Strausz 2003 ISBN 0778530965 Published by: Alberta Energy 'Research 'Institute ~"~'*~'"~ Suite 2540, Monenco Place 801 6th Avenue S.W Calgary Alberta, Canada T2P 3W2 www.aeri.ab.ca Contents Introduction . ............ ....................... ................................... 1 Bibliography.................... .................................... ............. 7 1. The Origin of Petroleum! ............................. ......... 9 1.0 Gen'esis of Petroleum ................................................. 12 2.0 Migration and Accumulation of Oil ............. ................ 14 3.0 ChemicalAlteration of Oil DuringMigration ........................ .... 15 4.0 Chemical Alteration of Pooled Oil ......................................... 16 4.1 Thermal processes .................... .............................................................. 16 4.2 Deasphalting. ................. ...... 177.. 4.3 Biodegradation and water washing .................................... ........... 17 Bibliography ................... ........ ............ ................ .....................1.9 !9 2. Geology of the Alberta Bitumen and Heavy Oil Deposits........................ 21 1.0 Athabasca Oil SandsArea ..... ..................................... 23 2.0 Carbonate Trend (Carbonate Triangle) ....... .............................................. 24 3.0 Peace River Oil SandsA rea ....................................................................................... 25 4.0 Cold Lake O il Sands A rea ........................................................................................... 26 5.0 Lloydminster'Heavy Oil Deposit ....... ................................... 26 Bibliography ......................................................... ... 26 3. Composition and Structure of Alberta Oil Sands and Oil Carbonates.................... .... 29 1.0 The Composition and Structure of Oil.Sands ............................. ,. .. 29 11. Interfacial properties .......................... .........................................39 1,1.1 Interfacial tension ................................................................................... 40 1.1.2 Electric properties .................................................................................. 50 a) Electric double layer and the zeta potential of the bitumen/water interface ...................... ....... 50 b) Electric double layer and the zeta potential of the mineral/water interface ..........,........ ... 53 1,2 Microstructure of oil sands .......................... 55 2.0 Physical Chemistry of the Water Flotation Process ............................ 57 2.1 Thehotwater process .................. ............ ............................. 57 2.2 The cold water process .......................................... 61 3.0 Interfacial Effects in the In-situ Water Flood Displacement of Bitumen ................. 61 4.0 Migrational History of the Oil Precursor to the Bitumen ........................................ 62 5.0 Summary . .................................................... .. 62 B ibliography .............................................................................. ................... ........... 63 Appendix 3.1 . ................. .......... * .......... 67 4. Organic Chemistry: Nomenclature and Some Basic Concepts. ........................... 69 1.0 Ayclic Alkanes .. .......... 0 ........... ... ..... 69 2.0 'Cycloalkanes .................; ............... ..................................... ...... ....... 73 .3.0 Aromatics .......................... "................. 76 4.0 Heteroatom-Containing Compounds ..................................................................... 78 5.0 More About Isomerism in Carbon Compounds ........ ................... 79 6.0 Chemical Structures of the Bioorganic Precursor Source Materials of Petroleum ....... 82 7.0 Types of Functional Groups and Chemical Structures in Alberta Bitumens ........... 86 -i- J. I1 1 )U L I I J L I ................................................... ................... 07 1.0 Definition, Characterization, Separation ................................................. 89 2.0 Elementl Composition ........................................... 93 3.0 PhyscaiProperties .................................. 99... 31. Density and specific gravity ... ............ ..... ....... ..... 99 3.2 Viscosity .............. .. ...................... ... .. ........102 3.3 Thermal properties .......... ............................ 107 3.3.1. Liquid-solid transition ............... ....... ............107 3.3.2 Liquid-vapor trasition .................... 109 3.3.3 Carbon residue .................. ........................110 3.3.4 Specific heat and latent heat ..............................................114 a) Specific heat .....................................................................................114 b) Latent heats of vaporization and.fusion ...................................... 115 c) Heat of combustion ...................... ........ 116 4.0 Optical Properties ......118 4.1 Refractive index ........ ,.. ... 1......118 4,2 Optical. rotation ................. ................ ...........119 5.0 Class •Composition ........................................ 120 5.1 Distribution in the reservoir................ ........ 126 6.0 Summary ........... ......... .............. 127 B ibliography . ... ....... ................................................... 129 Appendix. .1 Inorganic Constituents of.Petroleums ....................... 132 6. Minerals .......................................................... 135 Bibliography .40............. ...................... ..... 140 7.Reservoir W ater .......... ........................ ...............:........ ...... ......... 1434................ Bibliography ................................... ...... .!'..... 149 8,M ethylene Chloride-Insoluble Organic M atter...................................................................... 15.1 1.0 Bitumen-Related OrganicM atter .................................................... .151 2.0 Bitumen-Unrelated Organic M atter........................................................................ 158 2.1 Characterization -ofbitumen-unrelated organic matter ................................... 15.8 2.2 Distribution of the bitumen-unrelated organic matter in the oil sand tailing fractions. ...... ...... .164 2.3 Bonding between humic and inorganic substances ........ , ..............168 3.0 Summary . ......... ............................... 174 Bibliography . ........ ............. ... ,.... .. ,. 176 9. Reservoir Gases ... .............. ... , .... ... ......... ................. 79 Bibliography ........................... 188 10. Chemical Composition of the Saturate Fraction .................................189 1.0 Athabasca Bitumen Saturates ............................................................................ ....190 2.0 Other Alberta Bitumen. Saturates ........................... .. .......... 200 3.0 The NondistiUable. Portion of Athabasca Saturates........ ......... 208 4.0 Summary.. ........... ............................. ,..... 210 Bibliography. ,....... :.... ................................. ........ 210 Appendix 10.1 Field Ionization, GC-FI Mass Spectrometry............ ...... 212 Bibliography ................. 215 Appendix 10.2 Adduction Chromatography..... ...... ., ......................216 Bibliography ............ ..................... ................................. 218 - 11- 1 . of[ Sub ti on . .. .......... ......................... 2 1.0 Monoaromatic Subfracti on . ... .......... ....... .6-220 1.1 Subfraction lc ............................ .... 220 1.2 Subfraction.d ............ 220 2.0 Diaromatic Subfraction........ .................. 223 2.1 Subfraion 2a ............... ...... ... .................. ... 223 2.2 Subfraction 2b .......... ........... ................ 225 2.4 Subfraction 2 .... .... .... ... ... - . ....... ..... 2 28 2.5 Subfraction 2e .... ..... .................................................... ..... .. ...... 228 3.0 Triarom atic Subfraction ......................................... .... ....................... ..... .229 3.1 Subfraction 3b .. ................................ ...... 228 3.2 Subfraction 3c............. ............................... 231 3.3 Subfraction3b ................ .......... ........... ... , ... .,. ...... .233 3.24 Subfraction .3e3d..., ........................ ,........ .... ... ........... ... ,;...;. ....... .. ............ 2331 3.4 Subfraction.3e..... ............ ................