[en] The study of resins and asphaltenes, the heaviest fractions of oil, has become an area of interest due to the abundance of heavy crude oils in Colombia and Latin America. We studied the chemical composition of the heavy fractions of Castilla crude oil, evaluated some of its molecular parameters and found evidence of the interaction between the resins extracted from the crude with the asphaltenes of the original crude. With this objective, we carried out at the pilot plant level precipitation of the resin-asphaltene (R-A) aggregate by adding and mixing under controlled conditions, a paraffin solvent, from the Apiay refinery, called Apiasol. By extracting Soxhlet with the same solvent, resin 1 of aggregate R-A was separated. Resin ll defined as the soluble fraction that is part of the maltenes, was separated from the deasphalted crude by open column chromatography, using alumina as support, according to the SAR method (Saturated, Aromatics, Resins). The fractions of resins and the asphaltenes obtained, were characterized by: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), FT-lR, DRX, elementary analysis (C, H, N, S), metal content (Ni and V), distribution of molecular weight by GPC, and average molecular weight by VPO. The results obtained show evidence that resin l which is part of the aggregate has less average molecular weight than resin ll which is present in the fraction of maltenes. In addition, some changes were found in the elementary analysis of among the resins. On the one hand, and taking into account the existing theories of molecular interactions among these fractions, it was found that the resins l separated from the R-A aggregate, when added to the crude, they stabilize their asphaltenes. This evaluation was carried out by analyzing the flocculation point of the crude and its mixtures with 1,9% and 3,8% of resin l, when they are titrated with a precipitating agent in an NIR cell that works with high pressure and temperature

[en] Current trends of computational tools in the upstream of the petroleum industry ore presented herein several results and images obtained through commercial programs and through in-house software developments illustrate the topics discussed. They include several types of problems and programming paradigms. Emphasis is made on the future of parallel processing through the use of affordable, open systems, as the Linux system. This kind of technologies will likely make possible new research and industry applications, since quite advanced computational resources will be available to many people working in the area

[en] A thermodynamic structure has been modified in order to calculate cloud point, fluidity and amount of precipitated wax under a wide range of temperature conditions, composition, and high pressures. The model is based on a combination of ideal solution concepts, fluid characterization, and formation of multiple solid phases using Cubic State Equations. The experimental data utilized for testing the prediction capacity and potentiality of a model exhibit different characteristics: continuous series synthetic systems of heavy alkanes, discontinuous series, and dead or living petroleum fluids with indefinite fractions such as C7+, C10+, C20+, and C30+. The samples were taken from the literature, petroleum fluids from the main Colombian reservoirs, and some samples of Bolivian fluids. Results presented in this paper show the minimum standard deviations between experimental data and data calculated with a model. This allows a progress in decision-making processes for flow assurance in reservoirs, wells, and surface facilities in the petroleum industry.

[en] The Republic of Kazakstan is one of the great petroleum producers in the world. Present day, according to the supply of hydrocarbon raw the country takes 13-Th place in the world, but some facts say that Kazakhstan will takes 6-7 places in near future. In 1999 Kazakhstan will broadly celebrated the 100 jubilee of its petroleum and gas industries. A century ago in April the first key well no. 7 gave a gusher in Karachungul deposit, Zhyloi region, in Aturau, at the depth of 40 meters with daily debit of 20-25 tonnes. The key well belongs to the Petersburg businessman's company, to A.Grum-Grzhimailo, Leman and Deppelmayer. The industrial petroleum extraction began in 1911. In 1998 26.5 million tonnes of raw have been produced. It is expected that that petroleum extraction volume will tripled at the account of Pricaspian oil field. A large portion of petroleum is exported. The output of all 3 refinery plants in Kazakhstan (Atyrau, Pavlodar and Shymkent) does not exceed 18 million tonnes of petroleum per year. There is a problem regarding the increase of oil refining depth, raising the produced products quality and their assortment expansion. No plant produces lubricating oils. The new technologies and much investments are required to solve these problems. (author)

[en] The process of crude distillation impacts the economy of any refinery in a considerable manner. Therefore, it is necessary to improve it taking good advantage of the available infrastructure, generating products that conform to the specifications without violating the equipment operating constraints or plant restrictions at industrial units. The objective of this paper is to present the development of an optimization model for a Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) system at a ECOPETROL S.A. refinery in Barrancabermeja, involving the typical restrictions (flow according to pipeline capacity, pumps, distillation columns, etc) and a restriction that has not been included in bibliographic reports for this type of models: the heat integration of streams from Atmospheric Distillation Towers (ADTs) and Vacuum Distillation Towers (VDT) with the heat exchanger networks for crude pre-heating. On the other hand, ADTs were modeled with Meta models in function of column temperatures and pressures, pumparounds flows and return temperatures, stripping steam flows, Jet EBP ASTM D-86 and Diesel EBP ASTM D-86. Pre-heating trains were modeled with mass and energy balances, and design equation of each heat exchanger. The optimization model is NLP, maximizing the system profit. This model was implemented in GAMSide 22,2 using the CONOPT solver and it found new operating points with better economic results than those obtained with the normal operation in the real plants. It predicted optimum operation conditions of 3 ADTs for constant composition crude and calculated the yields and properties of atmospheric products, additional to temperatures and duties of 27 Crude Oil exchangers.

[en] The paper analyze the importance of the petroleum in the world economy, where the crude will be for several decades more, the fuel of the world economy and that the task for Colombia is to find new reserves. To complete it, the country has the necessary time and a high probability that it comes off of the signature of about sixty association contracts in two years and the perforation of seven prospecting of great impact

[en] The paper speech of the events and decisions that marked the history of the petroleum in Colombia and of Ecopetrol, from the adventure undertaken by some visionary at the beginning of the century X X, until the changes introduced in 1999

[en] Intensive exploring geological surveying works were carried out for revealing of fuel resources in South Kazakhstan. Number of complex gas deposits - Ajrakty, Amangel'dy, Kumyrly and others as well as Northern Usharly and Usharal-Kemirtobe deposits of nitrogen-helium gas are recovered. Introduction its into operation has significant importance in consequence of urgent fuel deficit in region. Basic way of guaranteed gas supply to industry and population of South Kazakhstan is connected with own hydrocarbon fields development

[en] Petroleum and petroleum products play a major role in the Dutch economy. Not only are they needed as fuel for transport, for example; they are also required for the production of various heavy chemicals. The large Dutch refining sector supplies many countries with petroleum products. Some statistical data of the oil market in the Netherlands is provided. [mk]

[en] The paper refers to the big efforts that Colombia has carried out, to attract foreign companies and to maintain to the existent in the oil exploration