Impact of Time on Asphaltene Destabilization Detection in Unconventional Fuels

Much attention has been given to the time-dependent aspects of asphaltene destabilization and aggregation in crude oils in the recent years. It has been shown that many traditional asphaltene stability analyses, such as spot tests and titration techniques, fail to account for destabilization time and as a result they generate false negative results, i.e., conditions where asphaltene destabilization are not detected but will generate fouling in processing equipment and pipes. In this work, recent findings on asphaltene destabilization, aggregation, and deposition in crude oil will be presented. The impact of these findings on processing and use of unconventional fuels, bitumen, refined oils, and marine fuels will then be discussed.