oilare

Oilare is a term that appears in speculative discussions of petroleum science to describe a proposed mesoscopic phase that could form in crude oil mixtures under certain thermal and mechanical conditions. In these discussions, oilare denotes a gel-like network of oil molecular aggregates that is stabilized by interfaces or additives not yet identified in conventional experiments. The concept is used to explain non-standard flow and rheological behavior observed in some heavy crudes during processing and transport.

Origin and usage of the term oilare are informal. It emerged in online forums and a small body of theoretical writing during the late 2010s and early 2020s, primarily as a thought experiment to explore how micro-scale organization might influence macro-scale properties. It has not become a standard or widely cited concept in peer-reviewed petroleum science, and there is no agreed experimental method to detect oilare in real samples.

Theoretical properties attributed to oilare include non-Newtonian, thixotropic behavior with a temperature- and shear-dependent structure. Proponents suggest that, if present, oilare could alter apparent viscosity, flow permeability, and phase behavior of multi-component oil streams. Critics point out that without empirical evidence, the idea remains speculative and could reflect modeling artifacts or unaccounted-for impurities rather than a distinct phase.

Applications and implications discussed in speculative literature focus on refining models, pipeline transport, and enhanced oil recovery. If validated, oilare would prompt new measurement techniques and revisions to rheology models for heavy oil systems. At present, oilare stands as a hypothetical construct rather than an established physical reality.

See also: Enhanced oil recovery, non-Newtonian fluids, emulsions.