Pipeline Transportation of Heavy Oils, a Strategic, Economic and Technological Challenge

TLDR

Heavy crude oils, largely from Venezuela and Canada, constitute a major energy reserve but face technological challenges throughout reservoir, transportation, and refining operations. The article surveys the geographic distribution of heavy oil resources and recent production projects. It examines transportation techniques—heating, dilution, oil‑in‑water emulsion, upgrading, core annular flow—and conducts a structural and rheological study to address high viscosity.

Abstract

Because of very large reserves mainly located in Venezuela and Canada, heavy crude oils represent a significant energy supply. This article gives an overview of the geographical distribution of their resources and lists the recent projects of production. These projects have to face technological challenges in all phases of operation: reservoir, transportation and refining. The paper focuses on transportation, describing the different methods (heating, dilution, oil-in-water emulsion, upgrading and core annular flow). In order to improve them or develop new ones, a structural and rheological study was undertaken to appraise the origin of the high viscosity and counteract its effect.