Analytical Methods in Petroleum Upstream Applications

This edited book documents new methods for measuring the composition and properties of petroleum and its fractions. Chapters from recognized experts explore advances in analytical instrumentation and methodologies that provide new insight into petroleum composition and properties. The improvement in measurement technology allows more accurate determination of the components, classes of compounds, properties, and features of petroleum. This enables better estimates of crude value to specific refinery configurations, insight into the proper processing schema for maximum net margin, better estimates of reservoir properties, and insight into the optimum development and extraction schemes.

Cesar Ovalles is Technical Team Leader at Chevron Energy Technology Company located in Richmond, California. He has a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Simon Bolivar University and Ph.D. in the same field from Texas A&M University. He worked for 16 years at Petroleos de Venezuela Sociedad Anonima-Instituto de Tecnologia Venezolano del Petroleo (PDVSA–INTEVEP). In 2006, he joined Chevron to work in R&D in Petroleum Chemistry and characterization of heavy and extra-heavy Crude Oils and their fractions. He is also involved in new methods for analysis of asphaltenes and in R&D in the chemistry of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil upgrading processes.

Carl Rechsteiner is the owner of CRechsteiner Consulting LLC in Petaluma, California, providing petroleum composition and measurement advice to industry. Following a four-year stint with Arthur D. Little Inc., Dr. Rechsteiner joined Chevron Research Company in Richmond, California, where he spent the next 31 years in a number of roles involving numerous measurement technologies for elucidating petroleum compositions. He managed many research and development projects that developed and implemented measurement technologies (especially in the chromatographic and spectroscopic sciences) across Chevron’s Global Downstream laboratory organization, and created an infrastructure to support data-rich process analyzers within Chevron’s operations.