US 12,241,883 B2
Method to prepare virtual assay using gel permeation chromatography
Omer Refa Koseoglu, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Feb. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/682,101.
Prior Publication US 2023/0271108 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 33/28 (2006.01); B01D 15/34 (2006.01); G06F 17/18 (2006.01); G01N 30/02 (2006.01); G01N 30/88 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/2823 (2013.01) [B01D 15/34 (2013.01); G01N 33/2811 (2013.01); G01N 33/2829 (2013.01); G06F 17/18 (2013.01); G01N 2030/027 (2013.01); G01N 2030/8854 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for producing a virtual assay of an oil sample, wherein the oil sample is characterized by a density, selected from the group consisting of crude oil, bitumen and shale oil, and characterized by naphtha, gas oil, vacuum gas oil and vacuum residue fractions, the method comprising:
analyzing by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) a solution of the oil sample in a GPC solvent without distillation to obtain GPC data indicative of GPC peak intensity values at predetermined GPC retention time increments between a predetermined range of GPC retention times;
entering into a computer the GPC;
calculating and assigning, as a function of the GPC data, an analytical value (AV); and
calculating and assigning, as a function of the AV and the density of the oil sample, virtual assay data of the oil sample and the naphtha, gas oil, vacuum gas oil and vacuum residue fractions, said virtual assay data comprising a plurality of assigned data values,
wherein the virtual assay data is used to evaluate the oil sample without distillation and is used to determine an appropriate refinery or refining unit
wherein the virtual assay data comprises:
a plurality of assigned assay data values pertaining to the oil sample including one or more of aromatic content, C5-asphaltenes content, elemental compositions of sulfur and nitrogen, micro-carbon residue content, total acid number and viscosity;
a plurality of assigned assay values pertaining to the vacuum residue fraction of the oil sample including one or more of elemental composition of sulfur and micro-carbon residue content;
a plurality of assigned assay values pertaining to the vacuum gas oil fraction of the oil sample including elemental compositions of one or more of sulfur and nitrogen;
a plurality of assigned assay values pertaining to the gas oil fraction of the oil sample including one or more of elemental compositions of sulfur and nitrogen, viscosity, and indicative properties including aniline point, cetane number, cloud point and pour point; and
a plurality of assigned assay values pertaining to the naphtha fraction of the oil sample including one or more of aromatic content, elemental composition of hydrogen and sulfur, paraffin content and octane number.