Analysis of kinetic models for hydrocracking of heavy oils for In-situ and Ex-situ applications

Abstract

In-situ processing has been suggested as an alternative for upgrading heavy oils and bitumen directly in the reservoir. However, there is not much information on the kinetic of the reactions occurring during this process. In this work, all the kinetic models reported so far for the in-situ and ex-situ upgrading of heavy crude oil or residue using nanocatalyst and hydrogen are discussed. Most of the kinetic models are based on the lumping approach and assume a first-order of reaction. The approaches used to calculate the kinetic parameters do not ensure reaching the global minimum of the objective function to determine their optimal values. The lowest energy demanding reactions for the hydrocracking of residue, vacuum gasoil, and distillates are in series as reported by almost all kinetic models. The calculated activation energies agree that gas fraction is only formed by residue conversion, and reactions are mainly carried out in series rather than in parallel under the studied conditions.