Advancing molecular-level engineering: Chevron’s use of Simcenter Culgi for enhanced asphaltene understanding

For engineers inside oil and gas companies, a heavy crude oil component called asphaltenes is notorious for causing blockages in oil production and refining processes, leading to equipment failures and significant financial losses.

Because of their complexity, asphaltenes are not well understood, creating an ongoing and costly engineering challenge.

In this on-demand webinar, a leading Chevron scientist presented how Simcenter Culgi empowered Chevron’s engineers with multiscale computational chemistry simulations. The result? Unparalleled molecular-level engineering insights and greater knowledge into the complexities and mysteries of asphaltenes.

Interested in learning more? Scroll down for webinar highlights. 

Asphaltenes are a headache for oil and gas industry engineers

Engineers in the oil and gas industry are under constant pressure to improve operations and production efficiency in assets and systems.

As discussed in the webinar clip below by  Dr. Estrella Rogel, Advising Scientist in the Global Laboratory Services at Innovation, Chevron, the complexities of asphaltenes, a problematic yet pivotal component of crude oil, pose a difficult challenge for engineers.

Watch the clip to hear Dr Rogel provide an overview of the property and structure of asphaltenes:

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Chevron worked with Siemens to overcome barriers in asphaltene simulation

When Chevron’s engineers were tasked with gaining a better understanding of asphaltenes, they collaborated with Siemens to address challenges in asphaltene simulations by leveraging molecular distributions and coarse-grained modeling for scalability.

Watch the clip to learn how Chevron’s and Siemens’ collaboration allowed Chevron to work with larger systems for longer terms due to insights gained from coarse-grained simulations.

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Simulation helped Chevron engineers understand chemistry changes in asphaltenes

Insights gained using Simcenter Culgi software were crucial in helping Chevron’s engineers capture the impact of aggregation and population chemistry changes in asphaltenes.

Watch the clip to learn how simulation revealed a range of knowledge and insights, including:

• Virgin asphaltenes form fewer and smaller aggregates compared to processed asphaltenes
• Long-chain alkanes play a regular role in the formation of virgin asphaltenes
• Differences in aggregation behavior in asphaltenes with similar properties

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Improved asphaltene understanding from simulation software is leading to new applications

Because of improved understanding of asphaltene gained through simulation software, engineers at companies like Chevron are discovering new applications. 

Watch the clip to learn about exciting, innovative and potentially-profitable asphaltene applications, including:

• As a polymer additive that improves polymer properties
• Potential carbon-based materials like activated carbon, carbon microspheres, fibers, and graphene nanospheres 
• Separation techniques and emulsion formation

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Ready to learn more about the benefits of simulation for oil and gas companies? Watch the webinar.

As presented in the webinar, by using simulation software, Chevron gained new insights into the aggregation behavior of asphaltenes. This understanding is crucial for developing strategies to minimize asphaltene-related issues while enhancing efficiency and reducing operational costs.

To learn more about the benefits of simulation software for oil and gas businesses, watch the entire webinar.