Study of the distribution of microelements in oil hydrocarbon groups

Data on the expanded oil microelement composition (for various oil types) is of practical importance and interest both for scientific research and for the development of technological processes of oil refining. From a geochemical point of view, the data on the features of the quantitative distribution of microelements in oil provide an opportunity to identify the genetic differences in view of oil exploration goals. Data on the microelement composition of oils provide assessing the oil composition at the stage of production and monitoring the quality of petroleum products at different stages of oil refining. Analysis of the distribution of microelements in oil hydrocarbon groups (so called SARA-groups) was carried out in the case study of two samples of commercial oils of Russian origin that differ in the physicochemical properties (heavy HI-VIS and bituminous extremely high viscosity index oil). The content of microelements was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in oil samples, and both in their maltenes and asphaltenes, as well as in paraffin-naphthenic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons and resins isolated from the maltene part using open-column liquid adsorption chromatography in accordance with the method developed at the Joint-Stock Company VNII NP. It is shown that the majority of microelements are present in the oil samples in three concentration ranges: more than 1.0 μg/g, 0.1 – 1.0 μg/g, and less than 0.1 μg/g. The concentrations of other elements lie below the detection limits (0.3 – 9 ng/g). Both oils under study turned out to be enriched with microelements and can be classified as «vanadium» type oils. The main trends in the distribution of microelements in hydrocarbon groups indicate to their concentrating in polar poly condensed structures (resins and asphaltenes).

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