The investigation of shale oil primitive preservation based on fluorescence-free polymerized materials

A difficult issue in petroleum reservoirs is the preservation of hydrocarbons after exploitation, because hydrocarbon components volatilize rapidly when they are exposed in the air. In this article, we have proposed ethylene oxide to encapsulate shale oils. The polymer has exhibited excellent mechanical and spectroscopic properties with a tensile strength of 19.160 MPa, which can hold the strong pressure of fresh shale sample. The polymer also has exhibited a transparent window in the visible range over 99.5%mm⁻¹ from 400 to 800 nm, indicating that no chromophores were generated during the polymerization process. Subsequently, the shale oil from the Biyang depression was encapsulated by the ethylene oxide for over 2000 hours at room temperature. Combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy, it was found that ethylene oxide has a superior ability in the preservation of shale oil while oils were rapidly volatilized in the exposed area. Contrasted to the exposed area, the encapsulated area exhibited a strong fluorescence intensity due to the accumulation of oil. This designed polymer can be applied in solving the problem of preservation of shale oils.