Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a novel continuous or semi-continuous process which results in the partial or total improvement of heavy oil. The improvement of the heavy oil is a result of thermally heating the oil at an interval where visbreaking occurs, thereby reducing a viscosity of the heavy oil. The core of the heating step occurs through a heating apparatus of the packed bed type including superparamagnetic, paramagnetic, and/or magnetic materials.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a novel continuous or semi-continuous process which results in the partial or total improvement of heavy oil. The improvement of the heavy oil is a result of thermally heating the oil at an interval where visbreaking occurs, thereby reducing a viscosity of the heavy oil. The core of the heating step occurs through a heating apparatus of the packed bed type including superparamagnetic, paramagnetic, and/or magnetic materials.

Abstract: The salt content of a heavy crude oil is reduced by a method which comprises the steps of(a) mixing 70 to 98% by volume of a heavy crude oil having a viscosity in the range 200 to 250,000 mPa.s at the mixing temperature with 30 to 2% by volume of an aqueous solution of an emulsifying surfactant or an alkali, percentages being expressed as percentages by volume of the total mixture; mixing being effected under low shear conditions in the range 10 to 1,000 reciprocal seconds, in such manner that an HIPR emulsion is formed comprising distorted oil droplets having mean droplet diameters in the range 2 to 50 micron separated by aqueous films,(b) breaking the resulting emulsion, and(c) separating the resulting mixture into a layer of relatively salt-free oil and a layer of relatively salt-enhanced water.Heavy crude oils are desalted by the above method without requiring a hydrocarbon diluent.