Paper spray analysis of crude oil samples: comparing traditional characterization schemes with mass spectrometric outcomes
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1.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
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2.
California Institute of Technology
Abstract
Crude oil constitutes one of the most complex mixtures in the world and its characterization is challenging yet absolutely essential in any upstream related production context. Traditionally, this has been addressed in fractionation of the oil into saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes; the SARA protocol. We have employed this conventional approach on three crude oils to compare results with mass spectrometric analysis in paper spray ionization mode where the crude does not enter inlets nor does it adhere to interfaces and therefore leaves no memory effects. Thus, it has proven to be an extremely convenient method for oil characterization as crude normally tends to damage analytical equipment by contamination. We have found that the densities of the three crude oils align very well with their SARA analyses in the sense that more saturates (alkanes) correspond to less dense oils. The paper spray ionization mass spectrometry handles the oil that consists of mostly saturates poorly and results in ill-defined peak shapes. A few peaks stand out and are most likely highly polar production compounds that are more easily ionized. On the other hand, the oils with aromatic components result in nice spectra and coupling the paper spray to HRMS clearly reveals the alkyl-aromatics. The combined results show that paper spray provides a fast valuable, non-contaminating route to oil characterization that provides actual structural insights; something that the traditional oil characterization methods can never be brought to do. We also show that production-relevant surfactants are readily characterized with paper spray. Thus, with some development it will facilitate the characterization of residual production chemicals in light crudes and guide the refining process.
Copyright and License
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Acknowledgement
T.S. gratefully acknowledges the Ibn Battuta program under the Deanship of Research at KFUPM project number ISP24102 and the support of A. F. and B. Solling for late-night sample preparations. On the crude oil front we thank Mr. Ahmad Mahboob for density measurements and Miss Noof Al Aqueel for producing the SARA data. High resolution mass spectrometry analyses were performed in the Resnick Water and Environment Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.
Additional Information
This article is part of a special issue entitled: Jean Futrell published in International Journal of Mass Spectrometry.
Dedicated to Jean Futrell. JLB: I first met Jean Futrell when he was on the faculty of the University of Utah and I was a graduate student finishing my PhD with John Baldeschwieler. He was visiting Stanford and tried to persuade me to join his group as a postdoctoral student, expounding on the benefits of broadening my horizons with the current research projects in his laboratory. I told him that I had already accepted a position on the faculty at Caltech. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and we always made a point of getting together at scientific meetings that spanned the globe. He was a true southern gentleman, with accent to match, that will be greatly missed by his scientific colleagues, family, and friends. My heart goes out to his wife, Anne, who accompanied him on many of his travels.
Additional details
Funding
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
- ISP24102
Dates
- Submitted
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2025-08-28
- Accepted
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2025-11-21
- Available
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2025-11-25Available online
- Available
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2025-11-29Version of record