Towards in situ fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy investigations of asphaltene precipitation kinetics.

We perform a spectroscopic analysis of asphaltene in solution and in crude oil with the goal of designing an optical probe of asphaltene precipitation inside high-pressure cells. Quantitative analysis of steady-state spectroscopic data is employed to identify fluorescence and Raman contributions to the observed signals. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that fluorescence lifetime can be used as a spectroscopic probe of asphaltene in crude oil.