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Alternatives study for the technical

improvement of the Campo Arce crude oil


quality
(Estudio de las alternativas para el mejoramiento tcnico de la
calidad del crudo pesado del campo Arce)

ABSTRACT
This document is a thesis done in the production area in order to make a
technical analysis of alternatives that may increase the market share of the
heavy crude oil from Campo Arce, belonging to the company Kappa Resources
Colombia Ltda. Which produces with a high percentage of water output and an
API gravity of 12API to 60Farenheit, which lists this as a heavy crude oil with
a high percentage of heavy metals (Nickel and Vanadium). The study of this
thesis exposes 3 treatment systems of heavy crude oil that are proposed like
alternatives for Campo Arce, these alternatives are: implement type S
centrifugal from the Alfa Lava Company, a mixture of oil from Campo Arce
with crudes of a higher API from other oilfields, and an improved plant oil by
solvent injection. Standing out as the best economic alternative technique, the
improved plant oil, since it has centrifugation systems that separate the heavy
oil phase, (water and solids), and deasphalted crude from Campo Arce. In the
document it can be found the technical and financial analysis of the three
alternatives, standing out as practical and economical alternative the plant for
enhanced features of the Campo Arce heavy crude oil. For evaluation it takes
into account the functionality, adaptability for Campo Arce, and the fulfillment
of the objectives that are to reduce the percentage of water present and
redeem the solids in the crude oil.
Keywords: catalyst, coalescence, density, electrostatic, emulsifier, emulsion,
centrifugal force, upgrading, BS&W, BOPD.

1. Introduction
Heavy crude oil production brings
some
complications
for
marketing and sales, as its high
water content, the amount of
dissolved
solids,
and
high
viscosity. This in some cases
prevents it to be sold and
shipped, so it is necessary to
seek
alternative
surface
treatments
before
becoming

transported through the


pipelines in the country.

oil

KAPPA Resources Colombia Ltd,


its an operating company that
increasingly
gives
more
importance to the application of
new techniques in the heavy
crude oil business, with Campo
Arce, which is a producer of
heavy crude oil with a API gravity
of 12.6o, with large amounts of
ashes, nickel and vanadium, 33%

of asphalt and 6.2% of paraffin. It


is commercialized only as a
boiler fuel, and topdressing for
building roads, because the
product specifications do not
meet the standards required by
law to be transported to the
refineries in the country.
The thesis was made to reduce
the solids content of crude Arce,
the percentage of implicit water
in the oil and be marketed as an
oil more attractive for the oil
industry. There were analyzed,
technically
and
economically
alternatives that improves the
own characteristics of crude
Arce.
The alternatives ranged from
simple mixtures of lightweight
crude with the heavy crude oil of
Campo Arce, that achieve the
decrease
of
viscosity
and
percentage of total solids by
weigh, deasphalting processes
by the injection of solvents, and
the use of centrifugal discs as a
separation method of heavy oil
fractions of the crude like the
water and suspension solids.
The thesis searched to analyze
new improvement techniques for
the characteristics of heavy
crude oil made by KAPPA
Resources Colombia Ltd. in
Campo Arce and thus reduce
costs in processes for the good
development of future drilling
development wells in the area. To
achieve this goal of this thesis,
the researchers analyzed several

different techniques employed in


heavy oil wells in different parts
of the world.
The study of alternatives of this
thesis seeks to determine if both
technical
and
economical
feasible to implement a given
process or treatment for the
crude of Campo Arce.

2. Campo Arce
Campo Arce its located on the
western edge of the Contrato de
Asociacin las Quinchas, en the
department of Santander, 3 km
from the village of Puerto Berrio
(Antioquia).
The first well that was drilled in
the field was Arce-1 by the
Texaco Company in 1984 which
proved crude of 13oAPI in the
formation
Mugrosa,
approximately 2700 depth and a
production of 6 BOPD.
2.1.
Campo
geology

Arce

Arce produce heavy crude oil


from the watershed of Valle
Medio del Magdalena, from the
Mugrosa
formation,
located
between the ranges of 2447
2891 feet. The hydrocarbon
reservoir rock correspond to one
unit of the tertiary: Mugrosa
(early Oligocene). It also exist a
storage
in
the
Colorado
formation (late Oligocene).
The Mugrosa formation is the
principal reservoir and it consists

of coarse-grained sandstone and


sandy gravel medium with cross
stratification, deposited mass or
fining cycles within an extensive
coastal plain, intercepted by
large permanent streams.
2.2.
Produced
water
and crude properties of
the field.
The reservoir produces oil with
high asphaltene content, with an
average API gravity of 12.6o.
Generally the oil of Campo Arce
its used as raw material for
boilers, especially in situations
where asphalts obtaining is
required due to the high content
of asphaltenes presented in this
crude (up to 20%).
The formation water composition
varies
along
the
reservoir
vertically and laterally. It hasnt
been possible to identify a
tendency
that
achieve
to
describe the distribution of this
variations.
3.
4. Evaluation of alternatives
for the improvement of
Arce oil.
The separation of the gas liquid
fases of the Arce crude take just
with the washing treatment.
Before this, for the process to be
satisfactory, at the input of
multiple production is injected a
breaking of emulsion. After the
stage of washing, the crude is
transported to tanks where the
respective heat treatment is

made, and thus ending to


evaporate de water bounded to
the crude.
4.1.
Heavy crude oil
treatment
by
centrifugal
separator
type s alfa- laval
The production characteristics of
Campo
Arce
allows
the
adjustment of type S Alfa-Laval
centrifugal systems. Campo Arce
has an average production of
300 BOPD, with a water cut of
47%, solution solids (Nickel and
Vanadium), of 59ppm in total,
ashes in a 0.108% m/m, and an
asphaltene content of 33% and
paraffin of 6.2%, for a total of
dissolved
solids
of
Nickel,
Vanadium and ashes of 0.1132%
with an average size of 13
microns, and 39.2% of heavy
hydrocarbons
(paraffin
and
asphaltenes).
The operation principle of the
module
its
based
on
a
centrifugal separation that takes
place within the equipment, after
the liquid has been heated to the
optimal operational temperature
that is 110oF, allowing the
emulsion to stabilize and be
easier the rupture through the
induced
force
from
the
centrifugal to the fluid and the
suspension solids.
4.1.1.
Type
separator
adaptability
Campo Arce.

S
for

The
centrifugal
separation
system, if it becomes feasible its
implementation, it will be located
in the washing stage after the
density differential separation
made by the washing tank. By
reducing the water content of the
emulsion the separation of the
phases
becomes
difficult,
because the water drops losses
their weight and reduced, are
wrapped easier by oil drops,
which is typical in this heavy
type crudes because of their
content of high asphaltenes.
The washing tank of the Campo
Arce station receives Arce crude
with BS&W of 47% and delivers it
to his output after the 15
minutes residence period with a
BS&W lower of 11.7%, a result of
the Karl-Fisher test measurement
at the end of the washing stage.
The Arce emulsion will be heated
to increase the effectiveness of
the process to an average
temperature of 50oC, reducing
pressure losses by viscosity and
increasing
the
centrifugal
separation level. The equipment
has its own heater which is
controlled directly from the type
S separator console.

API in the producing wells. The


treatment of Arce crude oil
through mixtures with light
crudes its a possible option for
the improvement of the Arce
crude quality.
4.2.1.
Mixture
analysis.
To
find
the
necessary
considerations to do the mixture
between the different crudes, the
components of the mixture and
the final API gravity, they used
the following equation:
API

APIj

o
+ Xj
Xi
API =

Where:

4.2.
Arce crude dilution
with crudes of greater
API gravity.
The crude of Campo Arce have in
its principal characteristics an API
variation form 11.6o API to 13o

API Im: API gravity of the


resulting mixture.
Xi: component i fraction
presented in the mixture.
o
APIi: API gravity of the i
component.
Xj: component j fraction
presented in the mixture.
o
APIj: API gravity of the j
component.
4.2.2.
Arce
crude
with
Samarkanda
crude.

To have a desire API gravity of


20o in the mixture the researches

found that its necessary 1 barrel


of Arce crude and 1 barrel of
Samarkanda
crude.
They
founded this by using the
formula:
o
.

API = [ 0.5(27.3)+ 0.5(12.6) ]

The result of this gave them 20o.


4.2.3.
Arce
crude
with Abanico crude.
To have a desired API gravity of
20o they found that they need to
mix 1 barrel of arce crude with
1.56 barrels of Abanico crude.
They founded this using the
equation:
o
.

API = [ 0.61 ( 24.8 ) +0.39 ( 12.6 ) ]

1.56 = 0.61/0.39
4.2.4.

Conclusions

The researches found that it


wasnt profitable to the other two
filds that produce the Abanico
and Samarkanda crudes because
the rentability of these crudes
where affected in a 15% and
21% respectively. Also, the
researches found that it was
needed to transport the crudes
so they can be mixed, and the
profit that the crude Arce gives
cant
handle
the
cost
of
transportation.
So,
this
alternative was discarded.
4.3.
Deasphalting
process by solvents.
The deasphalting by solvent
inyection its actually used as a

method to obtain better benefits


and make a better use of the oil
qualities. The alternative work
using a centrifugal separation
system to heavy crudes that had
been diluted previously with
solvents like the propane o
solvents cut types, that are
mixtures of solvents for the
vaporation of this can be
controlled and secure.
A solvent deasphalting proces
known in the industry is the PDA
(Propane
Deasphalthing),
it
consist of a dilution of crude with
solvent followed by a vacuum
distillation where the heavy parts
are separated, like solution
metals and asphalt presented in
the crude. The mixture solventcrude is treated later in the
process for the recovery of the
solvent used and separed the
crude phase from the mixture
made at the beginning. The
obtained solvent of the mixture is
reused and it goes to the initial
parto of the cycle.
The purposes of the system are:

Remove
asphalt
from
heavy oils.
Increase
the
Gas
Oil
production of the heavy
crude.
Obtain comercial asphalt
from raw crude.
Obtaining
more
light
fractions of crude.
Precipitate
asphaltenes
and heavy fractions.

When PDA is done in the right


conditions,
provides
positive
results
in
the
oil
initial
characteristics; the heavy metals
are retained by the aphalt and
expelled to the centrifugal in the
same time the asphalt is
separated from the crude. If the
recommended
volume
relationship of Arce crude and
solvent, for this case is propane,
is used, at the end we will have a
crude with higher API and a less
quantity of disolved solids; at the
same
time
the
viscosity
decreases and marketing is
provided. Therefore, this system
for the improvement of oil is set
as
an
alternative
for
the
improvement of the quality of
Campo Arce heavy crude.
5.
6.
7. Conclusions
The alternatives proposed in the
document are noted for their
ability to reduce suspended
solids percentage, significantly
decreasing the amount of water

leaving
the
treatment
increase the API gravity oil.

and

The thesis concludes that it is


necessary de centrifugation and
separation sistems to separate
de heavy fraccions of asphalt
from de Campo Arce crude.
Mixing the Arce crude with
lighter crudes let the Arce crude
to increase its marketing and
attractiveness, but nevertheless
the costs associated with the
transport dont let the alternative
to be approved showing that the
investments in the process do
not show a rentability to the
field.
The alternative to implement
after
performing
appropriate
laboratory
tests,
is
the
improvement
plant
oil
by
injection
of
solvents,
deasphalting
process
by
solvents,
this
alternative
highlights, fulfilling the objectives
of the project, increase of API
gravity,
heavy
fractions
reduction, and decrease water
and suspended solids from a
process involving centrifugation.

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