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Title: Analysis of fuel oxidation in in-situ combustion oil recovery

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6287915

The oxidation reaction kinetics in the forward combustion oil recovery process have been studied. 31 runs were made within a thin stationary layer of oil sand with individual runs being made at various temperatures, pressure, and flow rates to permit determination of the effects of these variables upon the reaction. Regular combustion tube experiments were run to assess the importance of process variables on frontal behavior. By continuous analysis of the produced gases from the reactor, at both isothermal and linearly-increasing temperatures, it was found that combustion of crude oil in porous media follows a complex series of reactions. These reactions can be divided into three sequences: (1) low-temperature oxidation; (2) fuel deposition; and (3) fuel combustion. A model is proposed to analyze and differentiate among these reactions. The conclusions are: (1) the amount of fuel deposited on sand decreases as reaction temperature is increased; (2) larger amounts of fuel are deposited on the system containing clays and finer sands; (3) the atomic hydrogen-carbon ratio for the deposited fuel decreases when the temperature increases; (4) a higher weight prcentage of hydrogen than weight percentage of carbon is burned at the beginning of the combustion run; and (5) increasing the partial pressure of oxygen increases the molar CO/sub 2/ - CO ratio.

OSTI ID:
6287915
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English