Using Microwave Technology to Extract Organic Matter from Rocks

Abstract

 Rock extraction is one of the most important processes to prepare samples to core analyses but this method consumes large quantity of solvents and time which means high cost; so it is necessary to innovate new high efficiency ways to replace the traditional methods. The use of microwaves in rock processing is an innovative and unobtrusive method in this field. The design of special furnaces to generate microwave and use them in the extraction of crude oil from rocks become a necessity; because of the need to reduce the costs of this treatment and shorten the necessary time to laboratory experiments and decreased conducted solvent for this process.

A number of samples of carbonate reservoir rocks exposed to microwave radiation assisted extraction and many solvents were used to detect more suitable solvent, the results of the experiment show that some solvents were superior to others and the samples did not harm as a result of that processes, note that the type of rocks may be important in determining the ability of microwave waves to perform the required treatment. And it is approved its high efficiency by decreasing time of cleaning up to less than 25% of time, more economical, in term of the least consumption of solvent and safer by comparison with conventional.