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Abstract The increasing demand for superior conversion of heavy crude oils to generate high quality petroleum products requires that more efficient upgrading technologies, processes and catalysts be improved. Dispersed catalysts to enhance catalytic activity by increasing the available surface area for reaction can be implemented for in-situ upgrading where these catalysts could navigate along with the oil being produced with increased reaction time. This thesis relates to Iron (III) dodecylbenzene sulfonate, nickel (II) dodecylbenzene sulfonate, cetyl-triphenylphosphonium tetrachloroferrate and cetyl-triphenylphosphonium tetrachloronickelate catalysts based on catalytic and aquathermolysis reactions that are tested for the viscosity reduction of Issran heavy crude oil. The prepared catalysts were characterized by critical micelle concentration (CMC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), thermo- gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The viscosity reduction eexperiments were performed in a batch autoclave reactor of 100 ml capacity, at atmospheric pressure, temperatures from 150 up to 300 º C, catalyst wt % from 0.15 to 0.25 %, and reaction times varying from 12 to 72 hours. The heavy crude oil (obtained from Issran field) and products were characterized using standard analytical techniques to evaluate conversion of the heavy crude oil and product quality by assessing, dynamic viscosity, density, molecular weight, saturate-aromatic-resin-asphaltene percent (SARA composition) and sulfur content. Main results indicated that the catalysts enhance the upgrading of heavy oil by effectively increasing aromatic, saturate and decreasing asphaltene and sulfur content, thus helping to reduce and improve viscosity and increase API gravity. By incorporating water (aquathermolysis), to create conditions near to in-reservoir operation; the catalytic activity of all catalysts are better dispersed, which consequently boosts activity at the same operating conditions. |