What is Gilsonite (Natural Bitumen)??

Natural bitumen or gilsonite is a pure hydrocarbon that melts at 165°C. The mineral is highly compatible with petroleum bitumen as it is a natural bitumen and a petroleum-derived solid geologically. The blend of gilsonite and bitumen creates a highly bonded molecule that possesses the fluidity of bitumen and the toughness and hardness of gilsonite.

Freshly broken gilsonite has a lustrous surface similar to obsidian, while weathered gilsonite is dull black and coal-like in appearance. It is differentiated by its low density, brown streak on paper, and solubility in organic solvents.

Millions of years ago, a rare geological occurrence caused a proto-petroleum deposit to fill huge surface fissures and then solidify into the pure, resinous rock that is now natural bitumen. Pneumatic jackhammers extract gilsonite manually from underground shafts. Gilsonite is separated by temperature grade, dried, screened, sized to customer specifications, and subjected to strict quality control procedures before being shipped to more than 80 countries around the globe.

The concept of "heavy oil" has been crudely defined by the API gravity or viscosity of its API, but these definitions are technically inaccurate and too inclusive. Efforts at legitimizing this concept on the grounds of density and viscosity have been imperfect. Heavy oil is most notably more difficult to extract from underground reservoirs and has worse flow characteristics than conventional crude oil. Heavy oil tends to be of lower API gravity and more viscous, requiring thermal stimulation for extraction.

Bitumen is quite immobile and of low volatility at reservoir temperatures. Petroleum or crude oil is a mixture of a wide variety of gaseous and liquid hydrocarbon compounds that exist in sedimentary beds around the globe. Oil is conventional petroleum when it is drilled from a reservoir where it can be extracted as a free-flowing liquid, which varies in color from dark to light. Bitumen and heavy oil deposits, however, require more energy for extraction.

Iran holds vast reserves of bitumen and gilsonite, and the western and southern regions of the country have widespread mining of these minerals.

Ilam, Kermanshah and Khuzestan are some of the cities where Gilsonite mines are located in Iran.

Where is gilsonite?

Gilsonite in mass is a shiny, black substance similar in appearance to the mineral obsidian. It is brittle and can be easily crushed into a dark brown powder. It is found below the earth’s surface in vertical veins or seams that are generally between two and six feet in width but can be as wide as 28 feet. The veins are nearly parallel to each other and are oriented in a northwest to southeast direction.

Application of Gilsonite Grade

Natural bitumen, has many applications in various industries. These applications are defined and determined for each industry; and that industry uses raw material or finished product and processed bitumen as needed.

• Drilling Fluid Loss Control
• Cement
• Oil Sector
• Asphalt & Road Paving
• Chemical
• Paints & Ink
• foundry

Drilling Fluid Loss Control

For many years, Gilsonite has been used in the oilfield as an additive in drilling fluids. Gilsonite, in various grades and formulations, has been used to combat borehole instability problems, provide lubricity, especially in highly deviated holes, and more recently as a bridging agent to combat differential pressure sticking and provide a law invasion coring fluid. It has been well documented that appropriately formulated Gilsonite products can minimize hole collapse in formations containing water-sensitive, sloughing shales and reduce stuck pipe problems by forming a thin wall cake and an inter-matrix filter cake.

Cement

Gilsonite,a solid hydrocarbon, is the same bitumen extracted from mines.since gilsonite was Introduced to the oil Industry in August 1957 as a cement additive , over 200 jobs have been performed using the material. This mineral has so far been discovered in the western mines of Iran. This material is used in the preparation of isogam, insulation of water pipes, making waxes and asphalt, drilling of oil wells and providing printer ink, etc.

Oil Sector

Gilsonite is used in drilling mud fluids and oil well cementing. Gilsonite, in a range of softening points and particle sizes, is a standard ingredient in oil-based drilling muds used in shales and other difficult geological formations. The addition of specially-treated Gilsonite to water-based drilling fluids helps minimize hole washout by stabilizing troublesome shales, and seals off highly permeable sands while reducing torque and drag. The addition of Gilsonite to oil well cements reduces slurry weight without loss of compressive strength and acts as an effective bridging and plugging agent to seal fractures in weak formations while cementing.

Asphalt & Road Paving

Gilsonite are natural occurring hydrocarbon substances characterized by a high softening point (above 110° C) in the class known as asphaltite. They are mined much like other minerals and sold essentially in their native state. They are fully compatible with asphalt and have long been known as asphalt hardeners and reinforcing agents. Gilsonite is currently sold all over the world as a road bitumen modifier in the form of a dry bulk solid granular powder.

Chemical

Gilsonite combines with many other chemicals and materials that take advantage of its unique physical and chemical properties. Binder and coating applications in metallurgical,wood products, refractary and other industries further demonstrate the versatility and usefulness of this remarkable material.

Paint & Ink

Gilsonite is added to bitumen-based paint to increase hardness, adhesion. UV stability, and water and chemical resistance. Gilsonite paint formulations are often used on automobile frames and radia­tors. Natural asphalt is also an ingredient in wood stains. For Paint, If added to asphaltite paints and varnishes, Gilsonite’s unique qualities improve their roughness, gloss and chemical and weather resistance.

Gilsonite and Gilsonite resin, derived by solvent extraction of raw Gilsonite, arc used as carbon black wetting agents for black news ink and heat set and gravure ink. In addition to wetting and dispers­ing the carbon black pigment, Gilsonite or Gilsonite resin binds the pigment to the paper. yielding the high-gloss print that resists rubbing off.

Foundry

In Foundry and Refractories, for molding high-value metals there is more attention to factors such as finishing. Gilsonite can be a superior carbon additive replacing the traditional Sea Coal which has low Carbonic value compared to Gilsonite Specifications.

Safety of Natural Bitumen

Natural Bitumen is non-hazardous and non-toxic. It is a very pure resinous rock, formed of a complex combination of different kinds of hydrocarbons.

General Specification of Gilsonite