Modifying In-Situ Combustion Performance by the Use of Water-Soluble Additives

This paper reports on experiments that were performed to study the effects of various additives on the oxidation kinetics of Californian and Venezuelan oils. Aqueous solutions of 10 metallic salts were mixed with sand and Huntington Beach, CA, oil. The mixtures were subjected to a constant flow of air and a linear heating schedule while the effluent gases were analyzed for composition. The variation in the oxygen consumption was analyzed with a model of three competing oxidation reactions. Values for the important kinetic parameters for the three reactions were obtained for each additive. Iron and tin salts were found to enhance fuel formation, while copper, nickel, and cadmium salts had no significant effects. Other experiments with a heavy Venezuelan oil showed that, contrary to earlier suggestions, the use of a ketal did not decrease fuel formation.