Effects of the Composition and Molecular Structure of Asphaltenes on the Properties of Heavy Petroleum Feedstock Represented by Heavy Oil from the Ashalchinskoye Field and Two Vacuum Residue Samples

A combination of analytical methods (including CHNS-O elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF and ICP mass spectrometry) was used to determine the elemental composition and average molecular and structural parameters of asphaltenes isolated from a heavy oil sample from the Ashalchinskoye field and vacuum residue samples from two different Russian oil refineries. The study identified differences in the nano-aggregate size of asphaltenes in heavy oil and vacuum residues, and evaluated the effects of the composition and molecular structure of asphaltenes on the composition and properties of the heavy petroleum feedstock samples.