Bibliographic analysis and VosViewer visualization of research on improving the properties of crude oil
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The continuous growth in global energy demand and the increasing share of heavy and high-viscositycrude oils have intensified the need for effective strategies to improve crude oil properties. Enhancing crude oilquality through viscosity reduction, desulfurization, enhanced oil recovery, and advanced nanotechnologicalapproaches has therefore become a major focus of petroleum research worldwide. This study presents abibliometric analysis and VOSviewer visualization of global research on improving crude oil properties between2000 and 2025. A total of 13562 publications were retrieved from the Scopus database. The number of annualpublications rose from 49 in 2000 to 450 in 2025, reflecting increased interest in topics such as viscosityreduction, desulfurization, enhanced oil recovery, and nanotechnology. Leading contributors include China (2688documents), USA (1418), and India (1274), collectively accounting for over 40% of global output. Keywordanalysis identified 6742 high-frequency terms, with dominant themes like desulfurization and nanotechnology.Co-authorship analysis revealed 2000 authors with strong collaboration networks, especially in Asia and NorthAmerica. The most active journals were Energy and Fuels, Fuel, and the Journal of Petroleum Science andEngineering, publishing over 1600 articles combined. A strong correlation (r = 0.86) was found between nationalrefining capacity and research output. These findings provide insights into scientific progress and collaborationpatterns, highlighting the shift toward sustainable approaches in crude oil enhancement.
Language: English
Subfield: Library and Information Sciences
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204193340