Abstract
The variation of oil viscosity with depth and/or location has been reported in many reservoirs around the world. This paper examines the role of asphaltene aggregation in the variation of viscosity of reservoir fluids. We conclude that the viscosity of heavy oils is dependent upon the extent of asphaltene aggregation rather than asphaltene concentration alone. A modified Einstein equation has been used to predict the oil viscosity as a function of asphaltene concentration and molecular weight which govern the extent of asphaltene aggregation.
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Kamath, V.A., Islam, M.R., Patil, S.L., Jiang, J.C., Kakade, M.G. (1991). The Role of Asphaltene Aggregation in Viscosity Variation of Reservoir Hydrocarbons and in Miscible Processes. In: Sharma, M.K., Sharma, G.D. (eds) Particle Technology and Surface Phenomena in Minerals and Petroleum. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0617-5_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0617-5_1
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