VISCOSITY OF GAS-SATURATED BITUMEN

The objective of this work was to measure the effect of dissolved carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen on the viscosity of Athabasca, Canada, bitumen. To accomplish these measurements, an apparatus was designed and built. The experimental results of gas-saturated bitumen show that carbon dioxide dramatically reduces the viscosity of bitumen, particularly at low temperatures. The effect of dissolved methane on the viscosity is less dramatic, but still significant. Dissolved nitrogen products a negligible change in viscosity.