The utilization of catalytic intensification for the compositional refinement of heavy crude oil during the extraction stage presents extensive prospects for enhancing the efficiency of employed thermal technologies for the development of unconventional hydrocarbon resources. The technology of catalytic aquathermolysis was applied at the Strelovskoye heavy oil reservoir. Field trials have demonstrated a sevenfold increase in the average oil flow rate per well compared to the previous non-catalytic steam treatment cycle, accompanied by a viscosity reduction of over fourfold. Analysis of oilfield samples has determined that the improved oil recovery and viscosity reduction effects are achieved through the chemical transformation of resinous-asphaltenic compounds, resulting in the generation of light hydrocarbons in the presence of injected catalytic complexes based on transition metals. The products of the destructive hydroprocessing of resinous-asphaltenic substances are sequestered within the fraction of aromatic hydrocarbons after the catalyst attains its active state in the reservoir. In addition to the breakdown of resins and asphaltenes, there is a notable degradation of high-molecular-weight paraffins, leading to an additional decrease in oil viscosity. The obtained results substantiate the potential application of the developed technology for enhancing the production efficiency of heavy oils. Currently, further scaling on other wells of the Strelovskoye field is planned.
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