Reservoir Engineering for Technicians

RESR1003

2. Organic Chemistry

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 Hydrocarbons
• Hydrocarbon are organic compounds which are made up of
hydrogen and carbon atoms.
• Molecular formula: CxHy
• Hydrocarbons can be:
1. gases (e.g. methane, propane)
2. liquids (e.g. hexane and benzene)
3. waxes or low melting solids (e.g. paraffin wax and
naphthalene)
4. polymers (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene and
polystyrene)

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 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

Aliphatic
Aliphatic Aromatic
Aromatic
 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

Aliphatic
Aliphatic Aromatic
Aromatic
(divided into three main groups according
to the types of bonds they contain)

Alkanes
Alkanes Alkenes
Alkenes Alkynes
Alkynes
 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

Alkanes are
hydrocarbons in which
all of the bonds are
Aliphatic single bonds.
Aliphatic
H H

H C C H
Alkanes
Alkanes
H H
 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

Alkenes are
hydrocarbons that
contain a carbon-
carbon double bond.
Aliphatic
Aliphatic
H H

C C
Alkenes
Alkenes
H H
 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

Alkynes are
hydrocarbons that
contain a carbon-
Aliphatic carbon triple bond.
Aliphatic
HC CH

Alkynes
Alkynes
 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

The most common

aromatic hydrocarbons
are those that contain
a benzene ring. H
Aromatics
Aromatics
H H
or arenes
H H

H
 Hydrocarbon Classification Based On Structure
Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons

unsaturated
hydrocarbons

Aliphatic
Aliphatic Aromatic
Aromatic

Alkanes
Alkanes Alkenes
Alkenes Alkynes
Alkynes

saturated hydrocarbons
 Alkanes
• Alkanes (or paraffins) are organic compounds
that consist entirely of single-bonded carbon
and hydrogen atoms.
• General formula: CnH2n+2
• Can be subdivided into:
1. Linear straight-chain alkanes
2. Branched alkanes
3. Cycloalkanes: cyclic hydrocarbons (carbon
atoms are arranged in the form of a ring)

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volatility

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 Isomers
• Structural or constitutional isomers have the
same molecular formula but different spatial
arrangements of the atoms in their molecules
• Isomers can have different physical and
chemical properties.
• e.g. n-butane has a higher boiling point (31.1 °F)
than isobutane (10.9 °F)

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Unbranched or continuous chain Branched chain

Isomers

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or isobutane
 Alkenes and Alkynes
• Alkenes (also called olefins)
– contain a carbon-carbon double bond
– Molecular formula: CnH2n
– Ethene (C2H4) is the simplest alkene

• Alkynes (also called acetylenes)

– have a carbon-carbon triple bond
– Molecular formula: CnH2n − 2
– Ethyne (C2H2) the simplest alkyne
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 Alkenes
Ethylene (the common industrial name for ethene) is
a basic raw material in the production of
polyethylene and other important compounds. 
Alkynes

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 Arenes
• Arenes (or aromatics) contain a benzene ring
which is a ring of six carbons with alternating
double and single bonds.
• Benzene, C6H6:

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 Arenes
There are many derivatives of benzene:

Toluene and xylene are important solvents and raw

materials in the chemical industry.
Styrene is used to produce the polymer polystyrene.

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This classification of
hydrocarbons serves as an aid
in associating structural
features with properties but
does not require that a
particular substance be
assigned to a single class.
For example, a chemical
structure can be both aromatic
and contain an alkyne 20
 Hydrocarbon Uses
• CH4 and (C2H6): gaseous at ambient temperatures.
Cannot be readily liquefied by pressure alone
• C3H8: easily liquefied. Fuel 'propane bottles'
• C4H10: easily liquefied - safe, volatile fuel for pocket
lighters
• C5H12: liquid at room temperature, used as solvent of
waxes and high molecular weight organic compounds,
including greases. 
• C6H14: solvent, significant fraction of  gasoline.
• C6 through C10 alkanes, alkenes and isomeric
cycloalkanes: components of gasoline, naphtha, jet
fuel and specialized industrial solvent mixtures.
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 Hydrocarbon Uses
• Main source of the world's energy (electric and
heat sources) due to the energy produced
during combustion. (an exothermic chemical
reaction)
CH4 + 2 O2 → 2 H2O + CO2 + energy
• As a feedstock for the petrochemical industry
(e.g. ethene is used as feedstock to make
poly(ethene), a polymer)
• Solvents, lubricants, detergents

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What is Crude Oil?

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 Crude Oil Composition
Generally speaking, crude oils are made of three
major groups:
• Hydrocarbon compounds that are made
exclusively from C and H
• Non-hydrocarbon organic compounds that
contain, in addition to C and H, sulfur, nitrogen
and oxygen;
• Organometallic compounds: organic compounds
that have a metal atom (Ni, V or Fe) attached to
them
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 Crude Oil Composition
Elementary composition of crude oil usually falls within the
following ranges

Element Percent by weight

Carbon 84 – 87
Hydrogen 11 – 14
Sulfur 0–3
Nitrogen 0 – 0.6

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 Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are usually made of few groups:
• linear (or normal) alkanes (paraffins)
• branched alkanes (paraffins)
• cyclic alkanes or cycloparaffins (naphthenes)
• aromatic alkanes (aromatics)

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 Fractional distillation
• Fractional distillation is used to separate crude
oil into simpler, more useful mixtures.
• Fractional distillation takes advantage of
differences in the boiling points of the
components of the mixture (boiling point is a
function of intermolecular interactions).

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 Fractional Distillation

1. heated crude oil enters a tall fractionating

column, which is hot at the bottom and gets
cooler towards the top
2. vapours from the oil rise through the column
3. vapours condense when they become cool
enough
4. liquids are led out of the column at different
heights

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 Cracking
• Cracking of hydrocarbons is a process in which
heavy organic molecules are broken down into
lighter molecules.
• This process plays a very important role in the
commercial production of diesel fuel and
gasoline.

E.g. hexane → butane + ethene

C6H14 → C4H10 + C2H4

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 Cracking Methods
1. Catalytic cracking uses a temperature of
approximately 550°C and a catalyst known as a
zeolite which contains aluminium oxide and
silicon oxide
2. Steam cracking uses a higher temperature of
approximately 550°C and no catalyst

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 Reasons for Cracking
• To produce more of the lighter hydrocarbons
which are more useful as fuels than heavier
hydrocarbons obtained from fractional distillation
of crude oil.
• To produce alkenes, which are useful as
feedstock for the petrochemical industry since
alkenes are more reactive than alkanes and thus
can take part in reactions that alkanes cannot.

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 Natural Gas
Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbon and
nonhydrocarbon components:

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 Natural Gas
The hydrocarbon of natural gas content can be:
• mixtures of C1 and C2 with very few other
constituents (dry gas)
• mixtures containing all of the hydrocarbons from
C1 to C5 and C6 & C7 (wet gas)

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 Natural Gas Components

(iC4H10

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 Natural Gas Components

Impurities

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 Natural Gas Compositions in
Mole %
Components North Sea North Sea T&T East Coast
West Side

N2 1.2 0.9 -

CO2 0.5 0.9 -

H2S - - Low ppm

CH4 94.3 74 95

C2H6 3.1 12.4 3.0

C3H8 0.5 7.5 1.0

C4H10 0.2 2.9 0.7

C5H12 0.2 1.4 0.3

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