Meeting Archives

COQA
San Antonio, TX, February 8, 2007, at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk. 

Subcommittee Meetings, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

 Canadian Crude Oil Quality Subcommittee Meeting

 A)        Summary of Corrosion Session from NCUT's 4th UPGRADING AND REFINING OF HEAVY OIL, BITUMEN, AND SYNTHETIC CRUDE OIL CONFERENCE(September 25 – 27, 2006, Edmonton, AB)

Presenter: Tim Blackmore, Omnicon Consultants

The National Centre for Upgrading Technology (NCUT) hosted a three day conference on the Upgrading and Refining of Heavy Oil, Bitumen, and Synthetic Crude in Edmonton near the end of September 2006. Days one and two focused on refining and upgrading heavy oils and bitumen, while day three detailed corrosion related issues.

Tim Blackmore of Omnicon Consultants was among the day three presenters at the NCUT conference and provided the COQA group with a synopsis of all day three corrosion presentations. Should any of the topics discussed at the NCUT conference be of specific interest, it may be possible for the speaker to be invited to present a more detailed perspective. Please contact Harry Giles, Director, COQA  or Bill Lywood with your comments or requests.
  

B)        U.S. Market for Canadian Crude – Oil Sands Market Overview

Presenter: Neil Earnest, Muse Stancil 

Neil Earnest, VP Muse Stancil, provided the COQA members with a comprehensive overview of the North American and offshore market potential for crude oils, bitumen and synthetic crudes from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Perspectives on supply and disposition of WCSB hydrocarbons, and the market forces presently driving production and pipeline expansions, were presented.  

           

C)        Canadian Crude Quality Technical Association Project Updates

Presenter: Tim Blackmore, Omnicon Consultants

The Canadian Crude Quality Technical Association (CCQTA) is a not for profit organization registered under the Societies Act of Alberta. The CCQTA is an internally funded, project oriented organization committed to communicate and resolve issues related to the quality characteristics of Canadian crude production. The CCQTA can easily be compared to the Crude Oil Quality Association, with the primary differences being the CCQTA's formalized structure and its strong focus on project work. More information on the CCQTA is available at http://www.ccqta.com.

Tim Blackmore of Omnicon Consultants provided a summary of the many projects underway at the CCQTA.

 

We would like to extend our appreciation to Tim and to Neil for having taken the time to enlighten us on the subjects presented. Their efforts have expanded our understanding of WCSB hydrocarbon production grades, its marketing, its processing, and its quality issues. Thank you, Tim and Neil. 

Respectfully submitted,
Bill Lywood
Crude Quality, Inc.
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Domestic Trading Center Subcommittee (DTCS)

Mission Statement.  We believe that crude oil designated as Domestic Sweet needs a few basic parameters in addition to gravity and sulfur in order for crude to fall within this designation.  These additional parameters are necessary to better define Domestic Sweet, while at the same time reducing its variability.  This will allow refiners to better determine the actual value of Domestic Sweet to them as they can with other, well defined crude types.

Additional Parameters.  Nickel, Vanadium, Tan, HTSD 10 and 90 percent points; MCRT

MCRT was formally approved as added to the testing protocol and so noted in the mission statement.

John Maurer presented a brief overview of the progress on collection of samples for the Ardmore, Oklahoma lab to test.  Sheri Sullivan at Sunoco helped tremendously in getting the sample procurement portion off dead center.  John reported the samples collected from January 9^th to February 14^th, would be picked up on February 15^th and delivered to the Ardmore lab by the end of that week.  We expect to have several months of data to present during the next meeting in June.

During the meeting, a description of the testing protocol and sampling methodology was requested.  Originally I suggested that this detail would be included in these minutes, however, I will need to collect some information from the supplier and plan to present this during the next meeting.

All data will be sent to Clifford Mills for statistical evaluation.

Several members came forward with ideas on contacting the NYMEX group to present our findings and mission statement.  Harry indicated he would check on presentations in the past to COQA by NYMEX as this was also a logical place to start.

The agenda document had listings of pipeline companies involved with Domestic Sweet from the Cushing area.  The Group suggested I contact Doug Arrick at TEPPCO to get his input on the list and check it for accuracy.

One member requested the additional testing of Bromides be added to the test protocol.  We agreed to consider this on a later date, since the testing was nearly under way and we would need to consider if the number of parameters would be getting too large for NYMEX to consider incorporating in to their description of this commodity.

John Maurer
Valero Energy Corporation
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 General Meeting, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

 

Following is a summary of the business transacted and presentations made at the General Meeting. 

●          Report from the COQA Steering Committee. Harry Giles, Director COQA.  The steering committee met on the evening of February 7, 2007.  Roy Barrios of Intertek was approved as replacement member for Terry Thompson formerly of Intertek who is now senior chemist at Motiva’s Norco, LA refinery.  Several items of correspondence were received by the Director regarding the organic chloride content of crude oil.  A session on this subject is being planned for the June General Meeting.  Nancy Delhommer of Haverly Systems has researched obtaining a merchant credit account for COQA.  The pros and cons of this were discussed and the matter will be studied further.  The processing of “opportunity” crude oils and the problems they present was discussed.  Among the concerns related to these are high levels of amine-based H₂S scavengers, high Ca levels, and the presence of production and transportation chemicals.  A presentation on this subject is also being planned for the June meeting.  At future meetings, it is hoped to have various companies present overviews of their operations.  Among the companies of interest are common carrier pipelines and E&P companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico.  The next Subcommittee and General Meetings are planned for June 7, 2007 at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, IL.  Interest has been expressed in having the late-year meetings in San Francisco, CA as the COQA has never met west of the Rockies.  The meeting attendees were polled and approved having the late-year meeting in San Francisco on November 15, 2007. 

●          ASTM Crude Oil Course Update. Harry Giles, Course Director.  The course has been scheduled for three dates in 2007.  It will be given in Linden, NJ on February 27^thand 28^th, in Chicago, IL on June 5^th and 6^th the two days immediately preceding the next COQA meetings, and finally on November 13^th and 14^th in San Francisco, CA.

Technical Presentations

 ●          Exploiting Upstream/Downstream Synergies for Improved Risking of Hydrocarbon Quality and Development Economics in Deepwater.  Lloyd Wenger, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co.  In his presentation, Lloyd discussed a number of the quality issues faced in evaluating and assessing deepwater reservoirs.  Among the parameters affecting recovery efficiency and crude value are S, metals, and TAN.  Moreover, organic solids and scale can adversely affect flow, emulsion formation, and desalting. Preparing refineries for changes in feedstock quality can be a daunting task.  Lloyd reviewed geologic controls on hydrocarbon composition such as in-situ biodegradation and intra-compartment mixing.  Sampling and subsequent prediction of oil quality can be problematic, and the use of a Petroleum Quality Simulator (PQS) to model various conditions was discussed.  Lloyd concluded his presentation with a short overview of the anthropogenic controls on petroleum quality.  These include a number of additives and chemicals injected from the time a well is drilled until crude oil reaches the refinery. 

  

●          Mercury in Crude Oil Processed in the United States.  Mark Wilhelm, Mercury Technology Services.  A multi-year project participated in by the U.S. EPA, API, NPRA, and Mercury Technology Services to determine the mean concentration and range in concentration of Hg in crude oil processed in the U. S. was reported on.  Four laboratories participated in the study.  For this, 170 market-named crude oils were sampled and analyzed.  These came from both domestic and foreign sources, with each oil being sampled and analyzed  a minimum of three times.  Concentrations ranged from 0.8 to 220 μg/kg (ppb), with the average being 3.5 μg/kg.  Oils from Asia had the highest concentration.  Mercury in crude oil occurs in several forms – volatile, soluble, in filterable solids, and in asphaltenes – and can occur throughout the boiling range.  This can present problems in water effluents, product quality, catalyst poisoning, waste disposal, and in HSE. 

 

●          Determination of Elemental “Bad Actors” (As, Hg and Si) in Petrochemical Samples using ICP-AES and ICP-MS.  Bob Botto, ExxonMobil Refining and Supply.  Arsenic is a catalyst poison, coke promoter in steam cracking, and an environmental toxin.  Mercury is a corrosive agent as well as an environmental toxin.  Silicon is a catalyst poison and fuel contaminant.  All three elements are of interest and concern at ppb levels.  As well as being in crude oils, they may occur in naphtha, gas oils, finished fuels, and many petrochemicals.  Laboratory determination of these elements is complicated by a number of factors.  They can be volatile species, and they occur across virtually the entire boiling range of samples making matrix matching difficult.  Sample preparation can be challenging due to volatility and, with Si, contamination.  Other challenges include proper matching of analyte and standard, standard stability, and absorption by sample containers.  Bob discussed several analytical methods that have been used for determining these elements, including ICP, ICP-MS, and ICP-AES, and various types of nebulizer.  In concluding his presentation, Bob discussed present status in the determination of each element, additional work that needs to be done to improve accuracy and sample handling and analysis.

 ●          Crude Oil Conductivity.  Tony Potter, Nalco Energy Services.  Tony provided an overview of the desalting process and the physics involved in achieving optimum operation of the units.  Crude oil conductivity is affected by a number of factors, among them temperature, water content of the crude oil, contaminants (e.g. metals), and the composition of the crude oil itself.  Data was presented illustrating that a mixture of crude oils can have a significantly different conductivity than either of the blend components.  In planning the desalting process, a number of quality parameters must be considered in evaluating the crude oil slate.  These include specific gravity of the feedstock, its H2O and solids content, viscosity, and chloride content – in addition to its conductivity. 

 

●          Contaminant Impact on Desalting.  Larry Kremer, BakerPetrolite.  Some of the problems that can be encountered in desalting of crude oil are a) formation of stable emulsions resulting in high S&W carried through with the oil and build up of a “rag” layer, b) oil carryover to the wastewater treatment facility, c) fouling and mud buildup, and d) high current draw.  A number of constituents that occur naturally in crude oil contribute to these problems.  Among them are water, salt, asphaltenes, filterable solids, Ca naphthenates, and TAN.  Fortunately, additives are available that help mitigate some problems.  For asphaltenes, mitigation strategies include ceasing purchase of a problem crude, limiting blends to compatible mixtures, and treating crude with asphaltene stabilizers.  Crude oils with high filterable solids may be treated with a wetting agent.  Problems associated with other constituents including methanol, amines, surfactants, and slop oil were also discussed.  In summary, it is critically important to monitor desalter feed for problem constituents.  Intermittent problems may disappear before the cause is identified. 

 

●          PTI’s Crude Information Management System (CIMS).  Patrice Perkins, PetroTech Intel.  Tracking of crude oil data is important in staying current with changes in existing grades, knowing when new fields are discovered, and maintaining market awareness, keeping up-to-date with assay data, and sharing of operating experience.  There are a number of sources for these data, which can be bewildering.  CIMS offers a practical approach to managing crude oil information.  It is internet Web-based, updated regularly, and serves as a central storage repository.  Currently, it contains data on more than 2800 crude oils.  The system also has a number of sorting and searching capabilities.  Recent enhancements include a “News Brief” section, “General Country Information”, and a separate password protected Company Proprietary Information Section.  Further enhancements are planned to include company specific information, additional load port information, contacts, and more extensive assay data.  Patrice provided an on-line demonstration of some of CIUMS’ functionalities. 

           

●Devils Tower (GOM) Crude – A Case Study in TAN Determination.  Clay Coe, Dominion E&P, Inc.  Following reports that Devils Tower crude oil had a high TAN (up to 3 mg KOH/g) and refiners were discounting South Louisiana Intermediate (SLI), Dominion E&P initiated a process to determine the accuracy of the TAN test method (ASTM D 664), and whether the discounts were justifiable.  Results at multiple labs used in the study raised concerns about test methodology.  Quality control analysis found that labs were using different versions of D 664 and that sample preparation procedures were inconsistent or lacking.  Subsequently, a sample preparation producede was developed that reduced repeatability and reproducibility errors.  Further work resulted in development of a method to directly measure naphthenic acid content.  Recommendations were provided for minimizing errors in TAN resulting from improper sampling and pre-analysis sample preparation.  To minimize TAN related discounts, Clay made several other recommendations that involve working directly with refiners and sharing assay data. 

 

The General Meeting concluded with the following Subcommittee summary reports, detailed accounts of which are provided above. 

●          Report from Canadian Crude Quality Subcommittee.  Bill Lywood, Crude Quality Inc. 

●          Report from Domestic Trading Centers Subcommittee.  John Maurer, Valero Energy Corp.

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