PetroSonic - Heavy Oil Process

Sonoro’s technology advantage originated in the use of its sonic reactor technology and enhanced mass transfer effects that it provides. PetroSonic has developed a unique competency in the design of enhanced mass transfer energy processes and the proprietary applications which result from this.

The PetroSonic heavy oil process enables heavy sour oil (HSO) and bitumen (from most heavy oil and oil sands fields in the world) to be converted from nominally an API gravity of 8-14 degrees to a value-added synthetic crude oil of between 21 and 28 degrees API. This is achieved through the reduction of undesirable constituents of the raw heavy oil and/or bitumen. The process incorporates an initial sonic de-asphalting stage (6-10 degree API increase) as well an optional second stage proprietary chemical process (additional 6-10 degree API increase).

While solvent de-asphalting and distillation are both proven and well known technologies, the innovation associated with the PetroSonic upgrading process lies in the rapid de-asphalting achieved by sonication with the sonic reactor.

The primary process of solvent de-asphalting dissolves heavy oil in a common paraffinic solvent. The solvent is selected to ensure complete dissolution of the oil-soluble component of the bitumen with the solvent to form a de-asphalted oil (DAO) while the insoluble hydrocarbon component, known as “asphaltenes”, are readily filtered through simple separation. This asphaltenes fraction is concentrated with heavy metals such as nickel and vanadium as well as sulphur.

The sonic reactor, using its patented low-frequency / high-energy / high-amplitude reactor design, allows for significant improvement in the mass transfer efficiency of the solvent de-asphalting step, including cutting the de-asphalting time required from 6 to 10 hours to less than 2 minutes.

The process results in a substantial reduction of contaminants such as Nickel (75%), Vanadium (75%) and Sulphur (40%) that are naturally in the heavy oil. In addition, viscosities are reduced to near pipeline specifications with typically an 8% reduction. This is achieved by the breaking of bonds in the high molecular weight compounds to release contaminants and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons which results in an upgraded oil with lower density and thus higher API compared with the original heavy oil.

At the completion of the PetroSonic upgrading process, the upgraded oil is required to be separated from the solvent through a standard solvent recovery process such as an evaporator or distillation column. Given the significant differential in boiling points of the upgraded oil and the solvent for recovery, the separation process is economical and readily applicable to recover solvent with a solvent residual of less than 4% remaining in the oil. Such a small solvent residual in the oil is well within the expected quality parameters for pipeline and refinery specifications. The recovered solvent is reused at the solvent de-asphalting stage to complete the closed loop on the PetroSonic upgrading process.

The Company looks to maintain its initial technical advantage derived from the PetroSonic Sonoprocess™ for heavy oil by adding complementary proprietary process technologies.