Treatment for upgrading heavy crude oil

Abstract

The subject invention provides microbe-based products, as well as their use to improve oil well production and increase the value of heavy crude oil. Specifically, the subject invention provides cultivated yeast products, which can be applied to oil and/or oil and gas production equipment to improve production and increase the economic value of heavy crude oil by, for example, upgrading heavy oils and/or converting heavy hydrocarbon substances, such as asphalts, asphaltenes, tars, bitumens and/or petcokes into lighter hydrocarbon substances.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for improving one or more properties of heavy crude oil, wherein said method comprises applying, to the heavy crude oil, a yeast-based composition comprising a fermentation broth in which a  Wickerhamomyces anomalus  or  Starmerella bombicola  yeast was cultivated and a sophorolipid biosurfactant, wherein the sophorolipid biosurfactant is present in the fermentation broth and/or is added to the composition and/or is applied to the heavy crude oil separately from the yeast-based composition, wherein the fermentation broth does not comprise live yeast cells. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises applying an ionic or semi-ionic liquid in a concentration of 1% to 5% by weight to the heavy crude oil. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biosurfactant is a sophorolipid (SLP). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the yeast-based composition comprises  Wickerhamomyces  clade yeasts. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the yeast-based composition comprises  Starmerella  clade yeasts. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises subjecting the heavy crude oil to cavitation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heavy crude oil is in an oil-bearing formation and the yeast-based composition is injected into the formation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heavy crude oil has been recovered from an oil-bearing formation and is being stored in a storage tank or transported via tanker or pipeline, and wherein the yeast-based composition is applied into the storage tank, tanker or pipeline. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , used to upgrade heavy crude oil. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the heavy crude oil is extra heavy crude oil having an API gravity of about 12° or lower. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , used to convert heavy hydrocarbon substances into lighter hydrocarbon substances, wherein the yeast-based composition is applied to the heavy hydrocarbon substances, and wherein the heavy hydrocarbon substances are selected from asphaltenes, asphalts, tars, bitumens and/or petcoke. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method does not cause degradation of the heavy crude oil into methane or other gases. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , used to increase the API gravity of the heavy crude oil to above 20°. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , used for reducing the viscosity of the heavy crude oil. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises applying, to the heavy crude oil, one or more of an ethoxylate and an organic acid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises applying, to the heavy crude oil, an ethoxylate and an organic acid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , which further comprises applying, to the heavy crude oil, a petroleum hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         18 . A method of converting heavy hydrocarbon substances into lighter hydrocarbon substances,
 wherein said method comprises applying, to the heavy hydrocarbon substances, a yeast-based composition comprising a fermentation broth in which a  Wickerhamomyces anomalus  or  Starmerella bombicola  yeast was cultivated and a sophorolipid biosurfactant, wherein the sophorolipid biosurfactant is present in the fermentation broth and/or is added to the composition and/or is applied to the heavy hydrocarbon substances separately from the yeast-based composition, wherein the fermentation broth does not comprise live yeast cells, and wherein the heavy hydrocarbon substances are selected from asphaltenes, asphalts, tars, bitumens and petcoke.