Effect of laser irradiation on a heavy crude oil sample: Changes in viscosityand implications for oil recovery and transport

Heavy high viscosity oil is becoming an attractive source of energy, however, a reduction in the viscosity of the oil is needed to aid in the recovery and transportation of the oil. In this study, a solid laser operating at 532 nm was employed to irradiate an oil sample contained in a small quartz cuvette equipped with two Cu rod electrodes as a sensor system. A reduction in the sample viscosity and changes in voltage and temperature were observed on laser irradiation due to the thermal processing effect. To study the effects of laser processing at different bias currents, the effects of varying the voltage and temperature in the absence of laser irradiation were also studied. An exponential function was used to fit the voltage waveforms, which underwent decay, to clarify the effects of laser irradiation on the crude oil. Particular attention was given to the relationships between the voltage, temperature, and viscosity. It was considered that the particles in the crude oil absorbed the laser energy, and this gave rise to heating effects thus causing changes in the temperature and electrical conductivity of the sample. Laser technology can be expected to be an important driving force in the future for achieving reductions in sample viscosity and this should eventually aid in the recovery and transport of crude oils.