Catalytic effect of zinc naphthenate on the heavy oil low-temperature oxidation in an air injection process

ABSTRACT

Air-assisted steam flooding is a new effective technique for enhanced oil recovery in heavy oil reservoirs. The authors prepared zinc naphthenate as the catalyst in the laboratory and the investigated effects on low-temperature oxidation of heavy oil through the isothermal reactor. The results indicated that zinc naphthenate could accelerate the oxygen consumption rate and facilitate the cleavage reaction in the low-temperature oxidation process. The data shed more light on the mechanisms of low-temperature oxidation reactions of heavy oil and can provide a new way to enhance the recovery of heavy oil reservoir.

KEYWORDS:

• Air injection
• heavy oil
• low temperature oxidation
• oxidation rate
• zinc naphthenate

Acknowledgments

The authors also thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for the suggestions on improving the manuscript.

Funding

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2006AA09Z325).