The Production Process of Heavy Oil



Today, there are many resources where people can acquire heavy oil. It is the challenges these people have to undergo into how to get it. Heavy oil is extracted from the known process called mining. They mine the heavy crude extracting them to produce crude oil. The producers we encounter today have aligned their processes with the new technology to come up with a more efficient, safe, and convenient way of getting the oil to the market.

The stability of the market is where the assets of heavy oil are dependent. The business is steady for more than 50 years as long as they extract products from wells. They have been experiencing queries if the production of the media is still feasible. Regardless, heavy oil remains a long-term solution for global energy needs and an effective marketing strategy in introducing and utilizing world-class valves.

Understanding the Heavy Oil Media

Heavy oil is defined as a type of crude oil. They are identified as a complex amalgam whose compounds have a high molecular weight. From hydrocarbon deposits which are being degraded by algae, the formation of heavy oils is made possible. The results show how they lose the lighter hydrocarbon fractions which resulted in the remaining heavier fractions. They are identified as liquid petroleum with characteristics ranging from 20° API gravity or more than 200 cp viscosity varying on the conditions of the source. 
The viscosity of heavy oil measures more than 100 centipoises in which this factor defines how easy the flow of media would be. Oils are classified into three depending on their measure of viscosity; conventional, heavy oil, and oil sands. According to the Americal Petroleum Institute (API), the high specific gravity heavy oil exhibits range from 10 to 20 degrees. They feature high carbon residues, heavy metal, sulfur, low hydrogen-to-carbon ratios, nitrogen, and high levels of asphaltenes creating a viscous nature.  
The physical attributes of heavy oil are due to its components. This is both an advantage and disadvantage in terms of production reviewing all the economic and technological challenges they face. In production, the heavier the oil, the more difficult they are to extract. With all the processes they have to undergo, extracting heavy oil is known to be complex and expensive.

Method of Recovery

The production of heavy oil is not as easy as it seems regardless if the reservoir is identified. They conduct researches, tests, and evaluations to determine the most convenient and safe way of extracting the media. The operations require pipelines, supporting equipment, and people to have them all done. With the help of the products of technology, they came up and develop a more environmental-friendly means of recovery.

How do productions begin? They start right after they have determined the ability of the heavy oil to flow naturally from underground upwards with the help of high pressure. This is called a natural recovery or primary recovery. It may seem unusual but at some point, these circumstances do occur. They remain dependent on the pressure and temperature of the reservoir, natural properties of the heavy oil, and the drive mechanism. 
Another procedure used in extraction is secondary recovery. They are used as a booster that will make the recovery from a reservoir more effective. Because of the low success rate of the secondary recovery, they remain to be plan B in the process of extraction. They undergo reinjection of either gas or water nearest to the well maintaining the pressure underground.

Suggested Valves Used

The suggested valves for the production of heavy oil require the ability to keep up with high pressure and temperature, quality-based composition, and throttling services. That is why they seek top-performing gate valve manufacturers in India, China, and the USA to support their operations. One of which is XHVAL, a China-based industrial valve manufacturer for 33 years. They align their products with what more can the advanced technology offer to develop the features of industrial valves.

For regulating and halting the transfer of heavy oil, industrial valves, like gate valves, are highly suggested. Their quality is exemplary considering they can withstand changes in pressure and temperature. The choice of material should be well-evaluated. They are not that different but considering how they can keep up with the requirements for mining operations is impressive.

Valves in mining operations work when sand and oil is incorporated with water. They use specified chemicals to part the sand particles from the oil. With the number of industrial valves in the market, not all can be remotely operated. Engage in extensive research about what more can valve offer in the mining industry. This way, you get to have an idea about its ideal sizes, material compositions, and types. 

Conclusion

The production process of heavy oil is very complex, to begin with. Ensure that they are supported with components that are of the best quality. Compromising the equipment is risky considering that repairs and replacement will just increase the costs. Heavy oils are not produced in a snap. They undergo process over process extracted from reliable underground sources. As one of the natural resources, we are given a supplemental source of energy to fulfill the energy needs across the globe.