Flow properties of heavy crude petroleum

Abstract

The flow properties of crude petroleum having an API gravity varying from about 6 to 12 are improved by heating the crude petroleum to a temperature of about 35° C. to 200° C. and, in the presence of a suitable viscosity reducing additive, shearing the heated crude petroleum with a high shearing force sufficient to reduce the viscosity of the crude petroleum to a range of about 250 centipoise (cP) to about 1000 cP. Suitable viscosity reducing additives include gasoline, naphtha, butanol, petroleum ether, diesel fuel, citrus oil based cleansers and degreasers, and mixtures thereof.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for improving the flow properties of crude petroleum having an API gravity varying from about 6 to about 20, comprising: 
 (a) heating the crude petroleum to a temperature of about 35° C. to about 200° C.;    (b) shearing the heated crude petroleum with a high shearing force sufficient to produce crude petroleum with a viscosity which ranges from about 250 cP to about 1000 cP.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the high shearing force is produced by a shearing device with a rotor stator wherein the tip speed of the rotor varies from about 500 rpm to about 25,000 rpm.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the high shearing force is produced by ultrasound from an ultrasonic device.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the petroleum crude is contacted with at least one viscosity reducing additive selected from the group consisting of gasoline, naphtha, butanol, petroleum ether, diesel fuel, and citrus oil based degreasers and cleansers, by simple mixing therein, to thereby produce the crude petroleum with reduced viscosity.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the petroleum crude is contacted with the viscosity reducing additive in an unsheared state.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the petroleum crude is contacted with the viscosity reducing additive in a sheared state.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the petroleum crude is selected from the group consisting of petroleum heavy crude, petroleum heavy fractions, petroleum sludge and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating and shearing of the petroleum crude occur simultaneously.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shearing is conducted for about one second to about ten minutes.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the crude petroleum varies from about 400 cP to about 1000 cP.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the viscosity of the crude petroleum varies from about 250 cP to about 750 cP.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the viscosity reducing additive varies from about 15 weight % to about 50 weight % of the crude petroleum.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the viscosity reducing additive varies from about 20 weight % to about 35 weight % of the crude petroleum.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crude petroleum is heated to a temperature of about 50° C. to 150° C.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crude petroleum is raw Hamaca.  
     
     
         16 . A method for improving the flow properties of crude petroleum having an API gravity varying from about 6 to about 20, comprising: 
 (a) heating the crude petroleum to a temperature of about 35° C. to about 200° C.;    (b) shearing the heated crude petroleum in the presence of a viscosity reducing additive at a high shearing force sufficient to produce crude petroleum with a viscosity which ranges from about 250 cP to about 1000 cP.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the viscosity reducing additive is at lease one selected from the group consisting of gasoline, naphtha, butanol, petroleum ether, diesel fuel, and citrus oil based degreasers and cleansers.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the petroleum crude is selected from the group consisting of petroleum heavy crude, petroleum heavy fractions, petroleum sludge and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the shearing is conducted for about one second to about ten minutes.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the viscosity reducing additive varies from about 15 weight % to about 50 weight % of the crude petroleum.