Studies on the Synergetic Effects of Mineral and Steam on the Composition Changes of Heavy Oils

The synergetic effects of minerals and steam on the hydrocarbon group, viscosity, and element distribution of the heavy oils were studied in this paper. The results have shown that the mineral has a catalytic effect in the aquathermolysis of the heavy oils. When 10 wt % of mineral was added to the reaction system, the saturate and aromatic increase, the resin and asphaltene decrease. The VPO results show that the average molecular weight of heavy oil and asphaltene reduced after treatment, and the content of sulfur decreased. The viscosity of heavy oils used in our study was decreased to 23.4−25.6%, and decreased to 84.2−86.3% when the mineral and catalyst coexist in the reaction system under the steam.