https://www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/BOEM/BOEM_Newsroom/Library/Publications/BOEM_2016-062.pdf

may give an idea

Cleaning- toluen and if not working chromic acid.

Regards

G

Dear Sir. Concerning your issue about the general guidelines and tips for handling heavy crude oil in lab . Heavy crude oil and bitumen resources are more than double the conventional light oil reserves worldwide. Heavy crude oil and bitumen production is on average twice as capital and energy intensive as the production of conventional oil. This is because of their extremely low mobility due to high viscosity at reservoir conditions alongside the presence of undesirable components such as asphaltenes, heavy metals and sulphur making it more challenging to produce, transport as well as refine. It is well know that pipelines are the most convenient means of transporting crude oil from the producing field to the refinery. However, moving heavy crude oil and bitumen is extremely challenging because of their inability to flow freely. As such, without prior reduction in the heavy crude oil and bitumen viscosity, transportation via pipeline is difficult. This is because of the huge energy (i.e. high pumping power) required to overcome the high-pressure drop in the pipeline due to their high viscosity at reservoir conditions. To reduce this high-pressure drop and cost of transportation, several technologies have been proposed to improve the flow properties of the heavy crude oil and bitumen through pipelines. In this study, different technologies are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of each technology are highlighted with the view that the review will provide direction for improvement and development of novel technologies for bitumen and heavy oil transportation via pipelines. I think the following below links may help you in your analysis:

https://nptel.ac.in/courses/103103029/pdf/mod2.pdf

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs13202-013-0086-6.pdf

https://www.astm.org/Standards/petroleum-standards.html

Thanks

Water can be used to improve the behavior of heavy oil ores in three ways:

 1 - pump high viscosity materials in emulsion form with water:

In this case, the viscosity of the oil is reduced by the formation of an oil-type emulsion in the water so that each molecule of oil is surrounded by a membrane of water, which prevents the contact of crude oil with the walls of the tube and thus reduce the value of friction resistance, which increases the capacity of the pipe. Normally, water is added to the water in this method to form a stable emulsion so that no reverse reaction occurs and a water-type emulsion is formed in the oil. These active substances used in the preparation of the emulsifier must be able to form a membrane

Of water around the oil molecule and does not have corrosive properties affecting the metal of the tube.

The increased concentration of water in the mix helps improve the stability of the emulsifier, but it reduces the economic value of the pumping method. Research and experiments have shown that the amount of water in the mix should not be less than 30% of the total volume of the pumped mixture.

The process of forming the emulsion heated the oil to a temperature of up to 50 C, and paid to a certain tank, the water is taken from a nearby river or a nearby well and passed on a filter for liquidation and then treated with activated substances and pay another line to meet the oil in the same tank equipped with special mixers so The mixture is well formed at a certain speed to form the desired mixture, which is then pumped through the pipes and usually placed at the end of the pipes to separate the water from the oil.

 2 - pumping oil within a water ring:

This method depends on the viscosity difference between the oil and the water as the water is characterized by very low viscosity for the heavy oil wife, so the loss of friction pressure between the surface of the pipe and water is much less than between oil and the pipe wall. The principle of this method is that the water and oil are pumped simultaneously to the tube so that the water is a water ring on the walls of the inner tube and this is done by using pipes from the inside and designed for this type of pumping and to enter the water in a spiral and the difference between the density of water and oil, The heavier liquid (water) and the centrifugal forces formed will always go towards the walls

While the lighter liquid is the oil within the water cycle. Although this method increases the capacity of the pipes to about 20 times in comparison to the pumping of oil with the same capacity of used pumps and without the use of water, but this method was not favored in the oil industry for reasons, including the difficulty of the internal walls of the walls and the impossibility of this method of pumping long distances, In addition, in the event of a sudden or normal stop, the water is separated from the inner surface of the tube and replaced by the oil. Thus, the efficiency of the process ends. On the other hand,

Any defect in the accuracy of pumping technology will lead to the formation of a stable emulsion (water - oil) that is difficult to process later.

 3 - pump high viscosity materials on a water cushion:

In this way, oil and water are pumped together so that the water fills the bottom section of the tube and oil floats over it. This method allows to reduce the contact between the oil and the pipe wall and thus reduce the hydraulic resistance to friction. The disadvantage of this method is that the materials can not be pumped at high speeds so as not to form an emulsion between water and oil