CORRELATION OF ASPHALTENE SOLVATION WITH STABILITY OF CRUDE OIL EMULSION USING SCALING EQUATIONS

Due to the simplicity of scaling equations and its applicability to colloid chemistry, the scaling theory is widely used in studying emulsion properties such as force profiles. Scaling equations were developed for the studied samples for correlation of asphaltene solvation with stability of crude oil emulsions. Correlations were made for viscosity and percentage water resolved by varying the volume concentration of toluene in heptol mixture that was used as solvent for the asphaltene re-dissolution. The study shows that tuning the composition of heptol allows fine control of colloidal forces between asphaltene surfaces in an organic solvent and therefore determines the stability state of the emulsion. Statistically derived correlation equations provide for a range in the aromaticity of the crude medium for which an optimum stability is observed and therefore gives good understanding on the control of emulsion stability. The study further shows that emulsion inversion can be achieved by adjusting the concentration of surfactant.