Drag reduction of asphaltenic crude oils

Abstract

The process begins by obtaining a first batch of monomers selected from a group of acrylates with a molecular weight equal to or less than butyl acrylate and/or methacrylate with a molecular weight equal to or less than butyl methacrylate. A second batch of monomers is then selected from a group of acrylates with a molecular weight greater than butyl acrylate and/or methacrylate with a molecular weight greater than butyl methacrylate. A mixture is then prepared by mixing the first batch of monomers and the second batch of monomers, wherein the second batch of monomers are greater than 50% by weight of the mixture. Finally, the mixture is polymerized to produce a drag reducing polymer. The drag reducing polymer is capable of imparting drag reducing properties in liquid hydrocarbons.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 introducing a drag reducing polymer into a liquid hydrocarbon in a pipeline to thereby produce a treated liquid hydrocarbon wherein the viscosity of the treated liquid hydrocarbon is not less than the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon prior to treatment with the drag reducing polymer; and   the drag reducing polymer is added to the liquid hydrocarbon in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 ppmw.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the solubility parameter of the drag reducing polymer is at least about 17 MPa1/2. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the drag reducing polymer comprises at least about 25,000 repeating units. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the drag reducing polymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least 1×106 g/mol. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a plurality of the repeating units comprise a heteroatom. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the heteroatom is selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom and/or a phosphorus atom.