Specialists from Tomsk State University, together with colleagues from the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Tomsk Polytechnic University, created a catalytic method for processing heavy oil that significantly increases the efficiency of obtaining light petroleum products. According to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, the yield of gasoline and diesel fractions increased by 36.1% when the technology was used.
The key parameter, feedstock viscosity, decreased from 743 to 138 mm²/s, that is, by 5.4 times. At the same time, the formation of undesirable by-products also decreased: the yield of coke and gas fell by 1.6 times, while the sulfur content in liquid products dropped by 44%. This makes it possible to reduce the load on secondary treatment units and lower operating costs.
The technology does not require reconstruction of existing oil refineries. All necessary reagents, including the catalyst, are produced in Russia. The scientists confirmed the method's effectiveness on three different heavy oil samples. The process is currently being scaled up on a flow unit simulating industrial refinery conditions.
Unlike approaches used in the United States and China, where reagents are injected directly into the reservoir during production, the Russian development is focused on the processing stage, expanding the feedstock base of existing enterprises. This is especially relevant given that heavy oil reserves account for about one-third of the world's hydrocarbon resources, while gasoline is traditionally produced from light low-viscosity oil.
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