Dr. Harvey Yarranton 

   Heavy Oil Properties & Processing (HOPP)

 

 

 Dr. Harvey Yarranton is a Professor in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering at the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

He received a B.Sc. in 1985 and a Ph.D. in 1997, both from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.


Dr. Yarranton is a Professional Engineer (APEGGA) and a member of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineering), CSChE (Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering), SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers), CIM Petroleum Society (Canadian Institute of Mining), and a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Canadian Petroleum Society. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology.

Dr. Yarranton's research interests are in the general areas of interfacial science and thermodynamics applied to bitumen and heavy oil production and processing.  A common thread uniting his research is asphaltenes.  Asphaltenes are a solubility fraction of crude oils that can precipitate upon a change in temperature, pressure or composition.  They play an important role in the physical properties and phase behavior of heavy oils and bitumen.  They can foul petroleum reservoirs, wellbores and surface facilities leading to production losses and increased operating costs.  Asphaltenes can also stabilize water-in-oil emulsions formed during crude oil production.  These emulsions also lead to increased operating costs and can be a disposal problem.  

Current and past research projects in these areas are:

    heavy oil properties and phase behavior
    asphaltene molecular self-association
   asphaltene precipitation
    asphaltene particle aggregation

    asphaltene deposition  
   heavy oil characterization
    rheological and interfacial properties of water-in-oil emulsions
   solids-stabilized emulsions
    treatment of water-in-heavy oil emulsions
    oil sands bitumen extraction and froth treatment

    rag layer formation during emulsion separation
 

Dr. Yarranton was a Senior Petroleum Engineer with Amoco Canada Petroleum Co. Ltd. and Dome Petroleum Ltd. (1985-1993).  He remains involved in applied reservoir engineering. 

 

   AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS
 

   2020 SPE Technical Excellence Achievement Award

  2018 Departmental Research Excellence Award

  2016 SPE "A Peer Apart" Award of Achievement

  2014 Faculty Great Supervisor Award

  2013 Department Graduate Educator Award
  2010 NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Heavy Oil Properties & Processing
  2010 SPE Outstanding Service Award
  2008 ESS Teaching Excellence Award
  2006 Research Excellence Award, Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
  2003 Professor of the Year for Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
  2000 Department Teaching Excellence Award
  1998 CFI New Opportunities Award