Our research aims to determine an optimal mixture of enzymes that would effectively and significantly reduce asphaltene aggregates in heavy crude oil, or bitumen. Asphaltenes tend to flocculate to form nanoaggregates on the walls of pipelines, creating both safety and environmental hazards as well as decreasing the efficiency of oil transportation. Conventional methods of asphaltene reduction utilize chemicals that are both energy-intensive and expensive; thus, a biological method of deflocculation would improve the sustainability of oil transportation. We hypothesize that a mixture of enzymes would most effectively degrade asphaltenes due to the decrease in the energy barrier for oxidation. Furthermore, we predict that the enzymes would work synergistically to reduce asphaltene flocculation. The three enzymes we selected for experimentation act as the driving force for the reduction of asphaltenes in microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), a method of oil refinement: chloroperoxidase, dioxygenase, and laccase. Thus far, we have determined a flocculation curve for the precipitation of asphaltene in n-heptane to serve as a basis for comparison with the flocculation of enzyme-treated asphaltene samples. The curve demonstrates saturation, exhibiting a maximum value of asphaltene precipitation of approximately 50%. We are completing experimentation with enzymes in order to produce flocculation curves for enzyme-treated asphatlene samples. Our future research entails ultimately determining an optimal mixture of enzymes for the reduction of asphaltene aggregation.

Using enzymatic combinations to treat asphaltene aggregation

255th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.