title: Acoustic and sonochemical methods for altering the viscosity of oil during recovery and pipeline transportation.
abstract: Reduction of oil viscosity is of great importance for the petroleum industry since it contributes a lot to the facilitation of pipeline transportation of oil. This study analyzes the capability of acoustic waves to decrease the viscosity of oil during its commercial production. Three types of equipment were tested: an ultrasonic emitter that is located directly in the well and affects oil during its production and two types of acoustic machines to be located at the wellhead and perform acoustic treatment after oil extraction: a setup for ultrasonic hydrodynamic treatment and a flow-through ultrasonic reactor. In our case, the two acoustic machines were rebuilt and tested in the laboratory. The viscosity of oil was measured before and after both types of acoustic treatment; and 2, 24 and 48h after ultrasonic treatment and 1 and 4h after hydrodynamic treatment in order to estimate the constancy of viscosity reduction. The viscosity reduction achieved by acoustic waves was compared to the viscosity reduction achieved by acoustic waves jointly with solvents. It was shown, that regardless of the form of powerful acoustic impact, a long lasting decrease in viscosity can be obtained only if sonochemical treatment is used. Using sonochemical treatment based on ultrasonic hydrodynamic treatment a viscosity reduction by 72,46% was achieved. However, the reduction in viscosity by 16%, which was demonstrated using the ultrasonic downhole tool in the well without addition of chemicals, is high enough to facilitate the production of viscous hydrocarbons.
authors: Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy prospekt 31, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation. Electronic address: novita@mail.ru.
authors: Vladimir O
authors: VO
authors: Abramov
authors: Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy prospekt 31, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation. Electronic address: abramova@physics.msu.ru.
authors: Anna V
authors: AV
authors: Abramova
authors: Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy prospekt 31, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation. Electronic address: vadim.bayazitov@gmail.com.
authors: Vadim M
authors: VM
authors: Bayazitov
authors: Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy prospekt 31, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation. Electronic address: mullakaev@mail.ru.
authors: Marat S
authors: MS
authors: Mullakaev
authors: SamaraNIPIneft Ltd, Vilonovskaya Street 18, 443010 Samara, Russian Federation. Electronic address: marnosovAV@samnipineft.ru.
authors: Alexandr V
authors: AV
authors: Marnosov
authors: Branch of the Federal State Budget Education Organisation of Higher Professional Education South Ural State University in Nighnevartovsk, Nighnevartovsk, ulica Mira 9, 628616 Tyumen Region, Russian Federation. Electronic address: ildyakov.av@gmail.com.
authors: Alexandr V
authors: AV
authors: Ildiyakov
keywords: Downhole treatment; Enhanced oil recovery; Ultrasonic hydrodynamic treatment; Ultrasound; Viscosity reduction; Viscous hydrocarbons