Effect of regenox oxidant as a modifier on crude oil extraction by supercritical carbon dioxide

The effect of the addition of the commercial oxidant RegenOx consisting of two parts (part A, the oxidizer powder, and part B, the liquid activator) to supercritical carbon dioxide on crude oil recovery was investigated in a broad range of pressures from 20 to 60 MPa at 60 C. The addition of part B did not improve recovery. With the addition of part A, however, the pressure effect contributed to higher recovery in the range of 45-60 MPa, producing an increment of 15% compared to 8% in the range of 20-40 MPa. The effect of the mixture of part (A + B) of RegenOx did not show any effect on oil recovery at lower pressures in the range of 20-40 MPa, but there was a 14% average increment in recovery at pressures of 45 MPa and above, closely mimicking the trend produced by the effects of part A alone. A chromatographic analysis of the extracts obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide from the addition of a mixture of both parts of RegenOx has shown that the concentration of C₁₈-C ₃₀ single carbon groups increases as pressure rises; fingerprints of oil fractions illustrate that the speed of extraction of the C ₂₈-C₃₅ SCN groups increases at 45-60 MPa.