Urea Enhanced Aquathermolysis of Heavy Oil Catalyzed by Hydroxamic Acid-Co(II) Complex at Low Temperature

To develop effective water-soluble catalyst for aquathermolysis, a phenyl hydroxamic acid-Co( II ) complex was synthesized using hydroxamic acid and CoCl2. The effects of water content and catalyst concentration on aquathermolysis were investigated. The effect of adding urea as fortifiers was investigated. The crude oil samples before and after aquathermolysis were fully characterized by SARA and elemental analysis. With the catalyst and urea, the viscosity of the product was also substantially reduced from 470000 mPa•s to 120000 mPa•s at 15°C. Finally improved the flow properties better and upgrade the quality of heavy oil