Chemical Composition Of Petroleum & Fractional Characterization

Petroleum - Definition

} Petroleum: } Petroleum

Petra = Rock; Oleum = Oil

is a form of bitumen composed primarily of hydrocarbons and exists in gaseous or liquid state in its natural reservoir. (Hunt, 1979)

Principal forms of Petroleum

Based on the physical state of the mixture of HC, Petroleum can be classified into:
} Natural

Gas } Condensate } Crude Oil

Natural Gas

Mixture of hydrocarbons that does not condensate at standard temperature and pressure. It mainly consists of Methane with decreasing amounts of heavier hydrocarbons.

Composition of Natural Gas

Name Formula Molecular weight Methane Ethane Propane Isobutene n-Butane Isopentane n-Pentane n-Hexane CH4 C2H6 C3H8 C4H10 C4H10 C5H12 C5H12 C6H14 16.04 30.07 44.07 58.12 58.12 72.15 72.15 86.17 Boiling point(rc) - 162 -89 -42 -12 -1 30 36 69 Solubility (g10rg water) 24.4 60.4 62.4 48.9 61.4 47.8 38.5 9.5

Condensate
} Gaseous

in the sub surface and condenses at the surface. condensate generally has an API gravity higher than 55 and are composed of saturated hydrocarbons in the light gasoline range.

} The

Crude Oil
} It

is a mixture of hydrocarbons that existed in the liquid phase in natural underground reservoir and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure. appearance, crude oils vary from straw yellow, green and brown to dark brown or black in color.

} In

Elemental Composition of Crude Oil

Element Carbon Hydrogen Sulfur Oxygen Nitrogen Other Minimum 82.2 11.8 0.1 0.1 0.1 trace Maximum 87.1 14.7 5.5 4.5 1.5 0.1

Composition of Petroleum

Molecular Type Variations in Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbon molecules occur in following structural types Paraffins (CnH2n+2)/Saturated HCs Naphthenes or Cyclo Paraffins (CnH2n) Olefin Hydrocarbons (CnH2n-2) Aromatic Hydrocarbon (CnH2n-6)

Paraffins /Saturated HCs

formula is CnH2n+2 } Boiling point and density increase with increasing number of C atoms. } Branched alkanes (iso-alkanes) is very small in quantity. } Boiling point of straight chains > iso-alkanes with the same number of C. } Second most common constituent of crude oil, next to naphthenes.
} General

Paraffins /Saturated HCs

Naphthenes or Cyclo Paraffins

} General

formula CnH2n for one ring compounds. } Most abundant hydrocarbon. } The naphthenes and paraffins are also referred to as saturated hydrocarbons because all the available carbon bonds are saturated with hydrogen.

Naphthenes or Cyclo Paraffins

Alkenes or Olefins
} General

formula is CnH2n-2 } Olefin hydrocarbons contains double bonds between two or more carbons atoms. This cause them to be very reactive, compared with other hydrocarbon types. } Very small amounts in crude oil, because it easily gets saturated produced during refining.

Aromatics Hydrocarbon (Arenes)

} General

formula is (CnH2n-6) } Rarely exceeds 15% in crude. } Tend to be concentrated in heavy fractions of petroleum (gas oil, lubricating oil, residuum) } The heavy gas oil, lubricating oil, and residuum of petroleum contain increasing amounts of polycyclic hydrocarbons.

Aromatics Hydrocarbon (Arenes)

NSO Compounds
crude oil contains S, O and N in small amount. } The sulfur content may vary from 0.1% to nearly 10%. } The oxygen content up to 3% and oxygen compounds are available in fatty acids, naphthanic acids and nahtheno-aromatic acids. } The nitrogen content is rarely higher than 1%. } As metal compounds, oil sometimes contains traces of V, Ni and other elements as well.
} The

Distillation of Petroleum

Petroleum Composition Molecular Groups

C1 to C4: Gas C5 to C10: Petrol (Gasoline) C11 to C13: Kerosene C14 to C18: Diesel oil (Light gas oil) C19 to C25: Heavy gas oil C26 to C40: Lubricating oil More than C40: Residuum

API Gravity

Biomarkers
} The

organic compounds in sediments, rocks and crude oils whose carbon structure can be traced back to a living organism, are called biomarkers. (Hunt) are micro-microfossils, less than 30 nm in diameter. are found in rocks and sediments and undergo minor or no change in structure from their parent organic molecules in living organisms.

} These } They

Applications of Biomarkers
Biomarker can provide information on:
} Type

of organic matter of deposition

} Environment

} Type } Age

of lithology of source rock the filling history

} Maturity } Unraveling } Oil-oil

and oil-source correlations leading to identification petroleum system in a basin

Conclusions
} Knowing

the chemical composition of petroleum helps in ascertaining the market value of the crude oils. and other related studies carried out on oils and source rocks provide vital link between oils discovered and potential source rock which helps in identifying the petroleum systems in a basin.

} Biomarkers

Thank You