Work

Study on the Viscosity Reduction Effects of Heat, Gas, and Viscosity Reducers in Multicomponent Thermal Fluids on Heavy Oil: Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The efficient development of heavy oil reservoirs is challenged by the high viscosity and poor mobility of heavy oil. Although multicomponent thermal fluid technologies involving heat, gas, and chemical agents have demonstrated potential advantages over conventional steam-based recovery methods, the microscopic synergistic mechanisms responsible for viscosity reduction remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study investigates the synergistic mechanisms by which heat, an alkane solvent (C11H24), and CO2 reduce heavy-oil viscosity. Heavy oil from the Shengli Oilfield was selected as the research object, and rheological experiments were combined with molecular dynamics simulations to systematically analyze viscosity variations and their underlying microscopic mechanisms under different conditions. The experimental results demonstrate that increasing temperature significantly reduces heavy oil viscosity, and a characteristic transition in viscosity reduction behavior occurs at approximately 100 °C. At 90 °C, the addition 5 wt% oil-soluble viscosity reducer C11H24 decreases the heavy oil viscosity to 442.2 mPa·s, corresponding to a reduction rate of 83%. The solubility of CO2 increases markedly with pressure, and at 30 MPa, the viscosity reduction exceeds 99%. The combined effects of these three factors exhibit superior viscosity-reduction performance. Molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that CO2 and the viscosity reducer synergistically weaken the π-π stacking interactions of asphaltenes and resins in heavy oil, transforming heavy components from locally aggregated states into more uniformly dispersed configurations. Meanwhile, the intermolecular interaction energy and cohesive energy density decrease, indicating weakened molecular interactions and enhanced diffusion behavior. These results demonstrate that the synergistic viscosity-reduction mechanism of heat–gas–agent systems is mainly associated with structural disaggregation, interaction weakening, and diffusion enhancement. This study provides molecular-level insights into multicomponent thermal fluid-assisted heavy oil recovery and offers theoretical support for improving heavy oil development efficiency.

Source: Processes

DOI: 10.3390/pr14172705