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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M93024/01
Title: DOWNHOLE CATALYTIC UPGRADING OF HEAVY OILS USING AIR INJECTION 'TOE-TO-HEEL' - HORIZONTAL WELLS PROCESS
Principal Investigator: Hughes, Professor R
Other Investigators:
Price, Professor D
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Petroleum Recovery Res Inst
Department: Inst for Materials Research
Organisation: University of Salford
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 04 January 2000 Ends: 03 July 2002 Value (£): 129,623
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Catalysis & Applied Catalysis Oil & Gas Extraction
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals Energy
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Very large resources of heavy oil (8 to 15 degrees API) exists throughout. the world, but it has low market value and marketability, unless economic means can be developed to upgrade it to a lighter composition, i.e. containing more whiter distilates. Every API point above 10 API is north 40 cents a barrel.The collaborative programme of experimental and numerical modelling aims to establish the essential design framework of a new process for the downhole catalytic upgrading of heavy and medium heavy crude oil. Air Injection 'To-to-Heel' provides the necessary conditions for thermal cracking and hydroconversion of the oil, eliminating the requirement for expensive surface reactor equipment and facilities. A stable reactor environment is provided in situ in the reservoir by virtue of the presence controlled drawn down of reaction gases and fluids into an exposed section of the horizontal producer well. This allows the unique emplacement of an annular catalyst bed for upgrading the thermally cracked oil.
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Organisation Website: http://www.salford.ac.uk