(150b) Magnetic Treatment of Asphaltenic Oils

Magnetic treatment is being used in a number of petroleum production companies in altering oil’s rheological properties. In this presentation we report our findings on the role of magnetic field on asphaltene aggregation in petroleum fluids. Asphaltenes are heavier and polar part of crude oil. They have a high tendency to aggregate and deposit on surfaces which could cause several blockage problems in flow lines. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique is used to study the effect of static magnetic field on the onsets of asphaltene aggregation at different conditions. To investigate the effect of asphaltene structure and the presence of heteroatoms, different asphaltene structures are used. Four magnetic field strengths are applied to different asphaltenic oils at different pressures and temperatures. In this study, local molecular structure, interaction energies, diffusivities, and simulation trajectories are produced and analyzed. The primary results indicate aggregation trends are increased and decreased depending on the magnetic field strength, asphaltene structure, and the medium conditions.The findings of this work could help in prediction and make a better scientific decision onthe ways for reducing heavy organic depositions that may cause several problems.