Reduction of Optical Density in Highly Viscous Oils through Ultrasonic Treatment within The Infrared Wavelength Range

Today, Russia and the rest of the world are experiencing an increase in the production and reserves of heavy hydrocarbons (HC). This poses a problem in terms of both technical and financial needs, compared to conventional oil reserves. In this context, one of the key objectives for the advancement of the mineral resources sector is the enhancement of oil field diagnostic systems. This enables the "digitalization" of oil fields and processes related to extraction and transportation. The aim of the work is to analyze the current state of infrared (IR) oil diagnostic devices, existing problems and ways to optimize them, with special attention to the preliminary ultrasonic (US) treatment of highly viscous samples. This study was able to confirm the hypothesis that US treatment of resinous oil samples leads to an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the IR diagnostic system. The highest efficiency of US treatment was recorded at a point (15°C; 15 min), where the increment of Iout was 51.36 % relative to untreated oil. The optimal time for US treatment based on effect on chemical composition of oil is: t < 9 min at T = 15°C, t < 6 min at T = 25°C, and t < 3 min at T = 35°C. Despite positive results, authors emphasize problems with uneven distribution of US vibrations and need for further research on paraffinic oil.