Catalytic Combustion Enhancement In-Situ for Heavy Oil Recovery

It is common knowledge that in-situ combustion is highly promising method for improving heavy oil recovery. The present research explores the effects of Cobalt-ligated catalysts derived from sunflower oil (CoSFO) and tall oil (CoTO) on heavy oil oxidation, aiming to enhance in-situ combustion process. Through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) we assessed the oxidation kinetics of heavy oil in the presence and absence of these catalysts. Our findings indicate that both CoSFO and CoTO significantly improve the oxidation process, particularly in the high-temperature oxidation (HTO) phase crucial for combustion front stabilization. Notably, CoTO demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing oxidation times across all conversion levels, suggesting its potential to optimize the efficiency of EOR techniques. This research highlights the promise of Cobalt-ligated catalysts in advancing heavy oil recovery and suggests directions for future studies to further investigate their industrial applications.