Biodegradation capabilities of filamentous fungi in high-concentration heavy crude oil environments.

In this comprehensive study, we delved into the capabilities of five fungal strains: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium glabrum, and Penicillium rubens (the latter isolated from heavy crude oil [HCO]) in metabolizing HCO as a carbon source. Employing a meticulously designed experimental approach, conducted at room temperature (25 °C), we systematically explored various culture media and incubation periods. The results unveiled the exceptional resilience of all these fungi to HCO, with A. flavus standing out as the top performer. Notably, A. flavus exhibited robust growth, achieving a remarkable 59.1% expansion across the medium's surface, accompanied by distinctive macroscopic traits, including a cottony appearance and vibrant coloration. In an effort to further scrutinize its biotransformation prowess, we conducted experiments in a liquid medium, quantifying CO2 production through gas chromatography, which reached its zenith at day 30, signifying substantial bioconversion with a 38% increase in CO2 production. Additionally, we monitored changes in surface tension using the Du Noüy ring method, revealing a reduction in aqueous phase tension from 72.3 to 47 mN/m. This compelling evidence confirms that A. flavus adeptly metabolizes HCO to fuel its growth, while concurrently generating valuable biosurfactants. These findings underscore the immense biotechnological potential of A. flavus in addressing challenges related to HCO, thereby offering promising prospects for bioremediation and crude oil bioupgrading endeavors.

Liquid-phase NMR of asphaltenes.

The present review focuses on the most recent advances in liquid-phase NMR of asphaltenes, leaving apart an overwhelming amount of publications dealing with solid-state NMR investigations in this field. Owing to the complexity of the coal-derived products, and in particular, asphaltenes, their 1H and 13C NMR spectra consist of a number of overlapping signals belonging to different hydrocarbon types. Comprehensive studies of asphaltenes by means of NMR reveal the characteristic functional groups of their fractions together with the spectral regions in which they resonate. NMR studies of asphaltenes provide a straightforward guideline for their chemical composition and that of the related coal-derived products.

Experimental and Simulation Studies of Imidazolium Chloride Ionic Liquids with Different Alkyl Chain Lengths for Viscosity Reductions in Heavy Crude Oil: The Effect on Asphaltene Dispersion.

Heavy crude oil poses challenges in terms of extraction and transportation due to its high viscosity. In the pursuit of effective methods to reduce viscosity in heavy crude oil, this study investigates the potential of imidazolium chloride ionic liquids with varying alkyl chain lengths as viscosity reducers. The experimental results demonstrate that the addition of 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazole chloride ([C12-MIM]Cl) leads to a maximum viscosity reduction of 49.87%. Solubility parameters were calculated based on characterization of the average molecular structure of the asphaltenes. The viscosity reduction effect is enhanced when the solubility parameter of the ionic liquid closely matches that of the asphaltene. The initial asphaltene deposition point of heavy crude oil is increased from 63% to 68% with the addition of 150 mg/L [C12-MIM]Cl. Furthermore, the average particle size of asphaltene deposits decreases from 79.35 µm to 48.54 µm. The viscosity of heavy crude oil is influenced by the aggregation of asphaltenes. The ability of ionic liquids, especially those with longer alkyl chains, to disperse asphaltene molecules and reduce viscosity has been confirmed through molecular dynamics and quantum mechanical simulations.

Diffusion-Ordered Spectroscopy (DOSY) as a Powerful NMR Method to Investigate Molecular Mobilities and Intermolecular Interactions in Complex Oil Mixtures.

Studying the characteristics and molecular mechanisms of liquid self-diffusion coefficient and viscosity changes is of great significance for, e. g., chemical and petroleum processing. As examples of highly complex liquid,an asphaltene-free high-acid and high-viscosity crude oil and its extracted fractions were studied by comparing their 1 H DOSY diffusion maps. The crude oil exhibited a polydisperse diffusion distribution, including multiple diffusion portions with diffusion coefficients much smaller than that of any single fraction in independent diffusion. The main mechanism that leads to the decreases in the diffusion coefficients of crude oil is attributed to diffusion resistance enhanced by Dynamical Molecular-Interaction Networks (DMINs), rather than by enlargement of the diffusion species caused by molecular aggregation. Constructed through the synergistic interactions of various polar molecules in crude oil, DMINs dynamically bind polar molecules, trap polarizable molecules, and spatially hinder the free motion of non-polar molecules. Overall, this reduces the mobility of all molecular species, as illustrated by the decreased diffusion coefficients. This study demonstrates that DOSY is a powerful NMR method to investigate molecular motion abilities also in complex mixtures. In addition, the insights in the influence of the interaction matrix on the molecular mobility also help to understand the contribution of "structural viscosity" to the viscosity of heavy oil.

Biodegradation of asphaltenes by an indigenous bioemulsifier-producing Pseudomonas stutzeri YWX-1 from shale oil in the Ordos Basin: Biochemical characterization and complete genome analysis.

Crude oil pollution is environmentally ubiquitous and has become a global public concern about its impact on human health. Asphaltenes are the key components of heavy crude oil (HCO) that are underutilized due to their high viscosity and density, and yet, the associated information about biodegradation is extremely limited in the literature. In the present study, an indigenous bacterium with effective asphaltene-degrading activity was isolated from oil shale and identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri by a polyphasic taxonomic approach, named YWX-1. Supplemented with 75 g L-1 heavy crude oil as the sole carbon source for growth in basic mineral salts liquid medium (MSM), strain YWX-1 was able to remove 49% of asphaletene fractions within 14 days, when it was cultivated with an initial inoculation size of 1%. During the degradation process, the bioemulsifier produced by strain YWX-1 could emulsify HCO obviously into particles, as well as it had the ability to solubilize asphaletenes. The bioemulsifier was identified to be a mixture of polysaccharide and protein through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The genome of strain YWX-1 contains one circular chromosome of 4488441 bp with 63.98% GC content and 4145 protein coding genes without any plasmid. Further genome annotation indicated that strain YWX-1 possesses a serial of genes involved in bio-emulsification and asphaltenes biodegradation. This work suggested that P. stutzeri YWX-1 could be a promising species for bioremediation of HCO and its genome analysis provided insight into the molecular basis of asphaltene biodegradation and bioemulsifier production.

Assessing the Effect of Chemical Dispersant Nokomis 3-F4 on the Degradation of a Heavy Crude Oil in Water by a Marine Microbial Consortium.

Degradation efficiency of a heavy crude oil by a marine microbial consortium was evaluated in this study, with and without the addition of a chemical dispersant (Nokomis 3-F4). 15.50% of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were removed after 15 days of incubation without dispersant, with a degradation rate of 2.39 ± 0.22 mg L-1 day-1. In contrast, the addition of Nokomis 3-F4 increased TPH degradation up to 30.81% with a degradation rate of 5.07 ± 0.37 mg L-1 day-1. 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated a dominance of the consortium by Achromobacter and Alcanivorax. Nonetheless, significant increases in the relative abundance of Martelella and Ochrobactrum were observed with the addition of Nokomis 3-F4. These results will contribute to further environmental studies of the Gulf of Mexico, where Nokomis 3-F4 can be used as chemical dispersant.

Synergistic adsorption and biodegradation of heavy crude oil by a novel hybrid matrix containing immobilized Bacillus licheniformis: Aqueous phase and soil bioremediation.

Recently, slurry phase bioremediation as a simple and economical method is shown to be a successful technique for remediation of clayey soils. Besides, the use of microbial cell immobilization as a promising technique has drawn the attention of some researchers. The primary objective of this survey is to examine the synergistic adsorption and biodegradation performance of heavy crude oil by an isolated Bacillus licheniformis immobilized in a novel hybrid matrix (PUF/alginate/microbial cell) in aqueous phase. Isotherm studies and adsorption kinetics of crude oil on PUF matrix were carried out and their results revealed a good correlation between experimental data and Langmuir's isotherm and maximum monolayer coverage was found out to be 1.25 g/g PUF. The other objective of this research is examination of hybrid matrix in slurry phase bioremediation of heavy crude oil polluted clayey soil as a reluctant model soil. In order to model, optimize, and investigate the factors affecting the total organic carbon (TOC) reduction, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied. For this purpose, the effect of three variables including crude oil concentration (5000-25,000 mg/kg dry soil), soil salinity (0-10%), and water to soil ratio (WSR: 2-10) have been studied. In this study, TOC reduction was achieved in ranging from 39% to 80% in crude oil polluted soil after 21 days. Additionally, experiments by polyurethane foam (PUF)-immobilized cell, alginate-immobilized cell, and freely cell suspended systems were conducted to compare the performance of hybrid-immobilized cell with other systems. Our results showed the superiority of immobilized cells in hybrid matrix of PUF/alginate compared to other immobilized cell (IC) and free cell (FC) systems. Overall, the results indicated that the hybrid matrix with simultaneous adsorption-biodegradation capacity is potentially suitable for further development for oil spill treatment and it can be used as an efficient cleaning method in TOC removal from actual polluted soils.

Fabrication of New Demulsifiers Employing the Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate and their Demulsification Efficiency for Heavy Crude Oil Emulsions.

Two novel amphiphilic polyethylene amine terephthalate have been prepared via the glycolsis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The product, bis (2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate) (BHET), was converted to the corresponding dialkyl halide, bis(2-chloroethyl) terephthalate (BCET), using thionyl chloride (TC). This dialkyl compound was used for alkylation of dodecyl amine (DOA) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA) or pentaethylenehexamine (PEHA) to form the corresponding polyethylene amine terephthalate, i.e., DOAT and DOAP, respectively. Their chemical structure, surface tension, interfacial tension (IFT), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were determined using different techniques. The efficiency of the prepared polyethylene amine terephthalate to demulsify water in heavy crude (W/O) emulsions was also determined and found to increase as their concentrations increased. Moreover, DOAT showed faster and higher efficiency, and cleaner separation than DOAP.

Biodegradation of asphaltene and petroleum compounds by a highly potent Daedaleopsis sp.

Petroleum, as the major energy source, is indispensable from our lives. Presence of compounds resistant to degradation can pose risks for human health and environment. Basidiomycetes have been considered as powerful candidates in biodegradation of petroleum compounds via secreting ligninolytic enzymes. In this study a wood-decaying fungus was isolated by significant degradation ability that was identified as Daedaleopsis sp. by morphological and molecular identification methods. According to GC/MS studies, incubation of heavy crude oil with Daedaleopsis sp. resulted in increased amounts of C24 compounds. Degradation of asphaltene, anthracene, and dibenzofuran by the identified fungal strain was determined to evaluate its potential in biodegradation. After 14 days of incubation, Daedaleopsis sp. could degrade 93.7% and 91.2% of anthracene and dibenzofuran, respectively, in pH 5 and 40 °C in optimized medium, as revealed by GC/FID. Notably, analysis of saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes showed a reduction of 88.7% and 38% in asphaletene and aromatic fractions. Laccase, lignin peroxidase, and manganese peroxidase activities were enhanced from 51.3, 145.2, 214.5 U ml-1 in the absence to 121.5, 231.4, and 352.5 U ml-1 in the presence of heavy crude oil, respectively. This is the first report that Daedaleopsis sp. can degrade asphaltene and dibenzofuran. Moreover, compared to the reported results of asphaltene biodegradation, this strain was the most successful. Thus, Daedaleopsis sp. could be a promising candidate for biotransformation of heavy crude oil and biodegradation of recalcitrant toxic compounds.

Characterization of microbial communities in heavy crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

The complete mineralization of crude oil into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds and cellular constituents can be carried out as part of a bioremediation strategy. This involves the transformation of complex organic contaminants into simpler organic compounds by microbial communities, mainly bacteria. A crude oil sample and an oil sludge sample were obtained from Saudi ARAMCO Oil Company and investigated to identify the microbial communities present using PCR-based culture-independent techniques. In total, analysis of 177 clones yielded 30 distinct bacterial sequences. Clone library analysis of the oil sample was found to contain Bacillus, Clostridia and Gammaproteobacteria species while the sludge sample revealed the presence of members of the Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Clostridia, Spingobacteria and Flavobacteria. The dominant bacterial class identified in oil and sludge samples was found to be Bacilli and Flavobacteria, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the dominant bacterium in the oil sample has the closest sequence identity to Enterococcus aquimarinus and the dominant bacterium in the sludge sample is most closely related to the uncultured Bacteroidetes bacterium designated AH.KK.

Influence of heavy Canadian crude oil on pristine freshwater boreal lake ecosystems in an experimental oil spill.

The overall impact of a crude oil spill into a pristine freshwater environment in Canada is largely unknown. To evaluate the impact on the native microbial community, a large-scale in situ model experimental spill was conducted to assess the potential role of the natural community to attenuate hydrocarbons. A small volume of conventional heavy crude oil (CHV) was introduced within contained mesocosm enclosures deployed on the shoreline of a freshwater lake. The oil was left to interact with the shoreline for 72 h and then free-floating oil was recovered using common oil spill response methods (i.e. freshwater flushing and capture on oleophilic absorptive media). Residual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations returned to near preoiling concentrations within 2 months, while the microbial community composition across the water, soil, and sediment matrices of the enclosed oligotrophic freshwater ecosystems did not shift significantly over this period. Metagenomic analysis revealed key polycyclic aromatic and alkane degradation mechanisms also did not change in their relative abundance over the monitoring period. These trends suggest that for small spills (<2 l of oil per 15 m2 of surface freshwater), physical oil recovery reduces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations to levels tolerated by the native microbial community. Additionally, the native microbial community present in the monitored pristine freshwater ecosystem possesses the appropriate hydrocarbon degradation mechanisms without prior challenge by hydrocarbon substrates. This study corroborated trends found previously (Kharey et al. 2024) toward freshwater hydrocarbon degradation in an environmentally relevant scale and conditions on the tolerance of residual hydrocarbons in situ.

A novel mathematical model for modeling viscosity and temperature relationship for dead oils.

Viscosity is crucial in subsurface and surface transport, used in engineering domains like heat transfer and pipeline design. However, measurements are limited, necessitating predictive viscosity relationships. Existing models lack precision or pertain to limited fluids, and accurately forecasting dead oil viscosity remains challenging due to errors. The study presents a mathematical algorithm to accurately estimate viscosity values in hydrocarbon fluids. It uses a robust non-linear regression technique to establish a reliable relationship between fluid viscosity and temperature within a specific temperature range. The algorithm is applied to extra-heavy to light crude oil samples from Iranian oilfields, revealing viscosity values ranging from 0.29 cp to 5328.74 cp within a dataset of 243 viscosity data points. After modeling each of these five fluids, the highest values obtained for the maximum absolute error and relative error are related to the fluid with an API gravity of 12.92. The maximum absolute error and relative error for this fluid sample are 1.25 cp and 6.04%, respectively. The algorithm offers acceptable precision in outcome models, even with limited training data, demonstrating its effectiveness in training models with less than 30% of available data. Moreover, these models end up with a near-unity coefficient of determination in testing data, reaffirming their proficiency at reflecting empirical data with remarkable accuracy.

In-situ upgrading of Egyptian heavy crude oil using matrix polymer carboxyl methyl cellulose/silicate graphene oxide nanocomposites.

This study delves into catalytic aquathermolysis to enhance the economic viability of heavy oil production by in-situ upgrading technique. It is known that introducing nanocatalysts would promote the aquathermolysis reaction. Therefore, in this study, the effect of matrix polymer carboxyl methyl cellulose/silicate graphene oxide nanocomposites (CSG1 and CSG2) in the catalytic aquathermolysis of Egyptian heavy crude oil was studied. Characterization techniques including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to evaluate the structure of the synthesized nanocomposites. Results reveal CSG2 has higher crystallinity and superior dispersion compared to CSG1, and both exhibited a good stability in aqueous suspensions. CSG2 enriched with graphene oxide, demonstrates superior thermal stability, suitable for high-temperature applications such as catalytic aquathermolysis process. Single factor and orthogonal tests were used to assess the catalytic aquathermolysis performance of the prepared nanoparticles. The obtained results revealed that the optimum conditions to use CSG1 and CSG2 are 40% water concentration, 225 °C temperature, and 0.5 wt% catalyst percentage. Where, CSG2 showed better viscosity reduction (82%) compared to CSG1 (62%), highlighting its superior performance in reducing the viscosity of heavy oil. Numerical results from SARA analysis, gas chromatography, and rheological testing confirmed the catalytic aquathermolysis's efficacy in targeting asphaltene macromolecules and producing lighter hydrocarbon fractions.

Development of a highly tolerant bacterial consortium for asphaltene biodegradation in soils.

Asphaltenes are the most polar and heavy fraction of petroleum, and their complex structure and toxicity make them resistant to biodegradation. The ability to tolerate high asphaltene concentrations is crucial to reducing the toxicity-related inhibition of microbial growth and improving their capacity for adaptation, survival, and biodegradation in soils highly contaminated with asphaltenes. This study developed a highly tolerant consortium for efficient asphaltene biodegradation in soils from 22 bacterial isolates obtained from heavy-crude oil-contaminated soils. Isolates corresponded to the Rhodococcus, Bacillus, Stutzerimonas, Cellulosimicrobium, Pseudomonas, and Paenibacillus genera, among others, and used pure asphaltenes and heavy crude oil as the only carbon sources. Surface plate assays were used to evaluate the tolerance of individual isolates to asphaltenes, and the results showed variations in the extension and inhibition rates with maximum tolerance levels at 60,000 mg asphaltenes l-1. Inhibition assays were used to select non-antagonistic bacterial isolates among those showing the highest tolerance levels to asphaltenes. A consortium made up of the five most tolerant and non-antagonistic bacterial isolates was able to degrade up to 83 wt.% out of 10,000 mg asphaltenes kg-1 in the soil after 52 days. Due to its biological compatibility, high asphaltene tolerance, and ability to utilise it as a source of energy, the degrading consortium developed in this work has shown a high potential for soil bioremediation and is a promising candidate for the treatment of aged soil areas contaminated with heavy and extra-heavy crude oil. This would be the first research to assess and consider extreme bacterial tolerance and microbial antagonism between individual degrading microbes, leading to the development of an improved consortium capable of efficiently degrading high amounts of asphaltenes in soil.

Extra heavy crude oil viscosity and surface tension behavior using a flow enhancer and water at different temperatures conditions.

Research reports reveal the importance of applying various substances to enhance extra-heavy crude oil pipeline transportation. During the crude oil conduction process, shearing occurs in the equipment and pipe accessories, producing a water-in-crude emulsion associated with forming a rigid film by adsorbing natural surfactant molecules in the droplets water, leading to increased Viscosity. This study presents the effect of a flow enhancer (FE) on the behavior of the Viscosity of an extra heavy crude oil (EHCO) and in emulsions formed with 5% and 10% water (W). The results revealed the effectiveness of the 1%, 3%, and 5% flow enhancer in lowering the Viscosity and presenting a Newtonian flow behavior which will help reduce the cost of heat treatment during the transportation of crude oil through the pipeline.

Development and Evaluation from Laboratory to Field Trial of a Dual-Purpose Fracturing Nanofluid: Inhibition of Associated Formation Damage and Increasing Heavy Crude Oil Mobility.

This study aims to develop and evaluate fracturing nanofluids from the laboratory to the field trial with the dual purpose of increasing heavy crude oil mobility and reducing formation damage caused by the remaining fracturing fluid (FF). Two fumed silica nanoparticles of different sizes, and alumina nanoparticles were modified on the surface through basic and acidic treatments. The nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential and total acidity. The rheological behavior of the linear gel and the heavy crude oil after adding different chemical nature nanoparticles were measured at two concentrations of 100 and 1000 mg/L. Also, the contact angle assessed the alteration of the rock wettability. The nanoparticle with better performance was the raw fumed silica of 7 nm at 1000 mg/L. These were employed to prepare a fracturing nanofluid from a commercial FF. Both fluids were evaluated through their rheological behavior as a function of time at high pressure following the API RP39 test, and spontaneous imbibition tests were carried out to assess the FF's capacity to modify the wettability of the porous media. It was possible to conclude that the inclusion of 7 nm commercial silica nanoparticles allowed obtaining a reduction of 10 and 20% in the two breakers used in the commercial fracture fluid formulation without altering the rheological properties of the system. Displacement tests were also performed on proppant and rock samples at reservoir conditions of overburden and pore pressures of 3200 and 1200 psi, respectively, while the temperature was set at 77 °C and the flow rate at 0.3 cm3/min. According to the effective oil permeability, a decrease of 31% in the damage was obtained. Based on these results, the fracturing nanofluid was selected and used in the first worldwide field application in a Colombian oil field with a basic sediment and water (BSW%) of 100 and without oil production. After two weeks of the hydraulic fracture operation, crude oil was produced. Finally, one year after this work, crude oil viscosity and BSW% kept showing reductions near 75% and 33%, respectively; and having passed two years, the cumulative incremental oil production is around 120,000 barrels.

Access-dispersion-recovery strategy for enhanced mitigation of heavy crude oil pollution using magnetic nanoparticles decorated bacteria.

Heavy crude oil (HCO) pollution has gained global attention, but traditional bioremediating practices demonstrate limited effectiveness. This study developed magnetic nanoparticles decorated bacteria (MNPB) using an oil-degrading and biosurfactant-producing Rhodococcus erythropolis species and identified a novel access-dispersion-recovery strategy for enhanced HCO pollution mitigation. The strategy entails (1) magnetic navigation of the MNPB towards HCO layer, (2) enhanced oil dispersion and formation of suspended oil-bacteria aggregates, and (3) magnetic recovery of these aggregates. The UV-spectrophotometer analysis showed that this strategy can enable up to 62% removal of HCO. The GC-MS analysis demonstrated that the MNPB enhanced the degradation of low-molecular-weight aromatics comparing with the pure bacteria, and the recovery process further removed oil-bacteria aggregates and entrained high-molecular-weight aromatics. The feasibility of using MNPB to mitigate HCO pollution could shed light on the emerging bioremediation applications.

The mechanism of ultrasonic irradiation effect on viscosity variations of heavy crude oil.

Viscosity reduction of heavy oil has economic benefits and applicational value in the field. Applying viscosity reduction technology of heavy oil with ultrasound, this paper examines the influence of ultrasonic irradiation time and the addition of tetralin and ethylene glycol on viscosity reduction of heavy oil. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) and Gas Chromatograph (GC) were used to analyze the chemical compositions and structural changes of oil samples before and after ultrasonic irradiation, and the effects of ultrasound on viscosity changes are presented. The viscosity reduction rate (VRR) was best at an irradiation time of 6 mins under the current experimental conditions, with VRR reaching more than 80%. When the irradiation time reached 12 mins, the viscosity of oil samples increased conversely. Chemical analysis reveals that the light components in the oil samples increased after the ultrasonic irradiation, indicating that the cavitation, thermal, and mechanical effects of ultrasound could play a role in breaking long chains of carbon, thus reducing the viscosity. The increase in viscosity may have been caused by a reassociation between molecules and/or the coking of heavy oil.

Novel Bionanocompounds: Outer Membrane Protein A and Lacasse Co-Immobilized on Magnetite Nanoparticles for Produced Water Treatment.

The oil and gas industry generates large amounts of oil-derived effluents such as Heavy Crude Oil (HCO) in water (W) emulsions, which pose a significant remediation and recovery challenge due to their high stability and the presence of environmentally concerning compounds. Nanomaterials emerge as a suitable alternative for the recovery of such effluents, as they can separate them under mild conditions. Additionally, different biomolecules with bioremediation and interfacial capabilities have been explored to functionalize such nanomaterials to improve their performance even further. Here, we put forward the notion of combining these technologies for the simultaneous separation and treatment of O/W effluent emulsions by a novel co-immobilization approach where both OmpA (a biosurfactant) and Laccase (a remediation enzyme) were effectively immobilized on polyether amine (PEA)-modified magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs). The obtained bionanocompounds (i.e., MNP-PEA-OmpA, MNP-PEA-Laccase, and MNP-PEA-OmpA-Laccase) were successfully characterized via DLS, XRD, TEM, TGA, and FTIR. The demulsification of O/W emulsions was achieved by MNP-PEA-OmpA and MNP-PEA-OmpA-Laccase at 5000 ppm. This effect was further improved by applying an external magnetic field to approach HCO removal efficiencies of 81% and 88%, respectively. The degradation efficiencies with these two bionanocompounds reached levels of between 5% and 50% for the present compounds. Taken together, our results indicate that the developed nanoplatform holds significant promise for the efficient treatment of emulsified effluents from the oil and gas industry.

Magneto-rheological dataset for an extra heavy crude oil (8.5°API) in the presence of a constant magnetic field.

The dataset in this article includes magneto-rheological parameters of an extra heavy Colombian crude oil (8.5°API) in the presence of a static magnetic field. Considering the availability of this type of data is limited, the parameter values for Shear Rate, Shear Stress, Viscosity, Rotational Speed, Torque and Viscosity for three temperatures, i.e., 30, 50 and 70 °C, are hereby included in detail. The shear rate was systematically varied from 1 to 100 [s-1]. In the same way, another data set was obtained by applying a magnetic field of 0.17, 0.35 and 0.65 T (this parameter is also known as magnetic flux density or magnetic induction, in Teslas [T]). Enough experimental data for each temperature, were gathered, to generate the magneto-rheological curves for the extra heavy crude oil samples, with and without the presence of a static magnetic field.