Characterization of the saturated oil fraction of the Varadero field, by gas chromatography

Abstract

Crude oil is a highly complex natural mixture consisting predominantly of hydrocarbons [alkanes (paraffins), alkenes (olefins), and aromatic compounds] and other elements such as sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. In Cuba, work is being done on the exploitation of new oilfields deposits in the Northern Cuban Oil Belt. The goal of this paper is to characterize the crude oils from the point of Reservoir Geochemistry, using the high-resolution gas chromatography technique and the study of the physicochemical properties, in samples from six oil wells from the western sector of the Varadero oilfield. The fingerprints of the crude oil were obtained, the star diagrams were constructed to establish the possibilities of communication between the wells, from the ratios between compounds. The main results obtained show the existence of better communication between wells VW1003 and VW1007 with a difference of 1.91%, with the rest of the wells studied behaving differently. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the oils were studied, the results of which show that they are extra-heavy oils, with high content of sulfur and asphaltenes and. These properties show the similarity in their commercial quality with the crude oil discovered in the other blocks of the Varadero field, characterized by heavy, extra-heavy, highly sulfurous crude oils, belonging to Family I of Cuban crude oils.