https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202430910011
Characterization of Kuwait Crude Oil via Terahertz Fourier Transform Spectroscopy
1 Deparment of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Mishref, Kuwait
2 Institute of Photonics and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Physics, Vilnius University, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
3 Department of Physics, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo De Manila University, 1004 Manila, Philippines
4 Terahertz Photonics Laboratory, Center for Physcal Sciences and Technology, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
5 Petroleum Research Center, Kuwait institute for Scientific Research, Al-Ahmadi, Kuwait
* Corresponding author: ponseca.c@gust.edu.kw
Published online: 31 October 2024
We report the experimental and theoretical terahertz (THz) absorption characteristics of unprocessed crude oils from Kuwait oil wells. Using THz Fourier transform spectroscopy technique and semi-empirical computational chemistry calculation, five of the 30 crude oils revealed characteristic absorbance spectra. Experimental data showed absorption peaks at 6.0 THz, 7.7 THz, 13 THz, and 16 THz. On the other hand, the calculated spectral bands of 10 nonane molecules were found at around 2.8 THz, 7.7 THz, 10 THz, and 16 THz. Although only two bands were predicted by the calculation, adding alkane molecules of different lengths (pentane to decane) resulted in the formation of new bands. These preliminary results suggest that there is a mixture of different alkanes present in the investigated samples, a typical characteristic of unprocessed crude oil.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2024
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
