Methods and compositions for decreasing the viscosity of hydrocarbon-based fluids during refining

1. A method for decreasing a viscosity of a hydrocarbon-based fluid, wherein the method comprises:

adding an effective amount of at least one biosurfactant to the hydrocarbon-based fluid to decrease the viscosity thereof as compared to an otherwise identical hydrocarbon-based fluid; wherein the at least one biosurfactant is selected from the group consisting of mycolic lipids, glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides, lipoproteins-lipopeptides, phospholipids, and combinations thereof; and wherein the hydrocarbon-based fluid is selected from a group consisting of atmospheric or vacuum tower bottoms, bitumen, vacuum tower bottoms derived fuel, feedstocks to upgrader units, and combinations thereof;

adding a diluent to the hydrocarbon-based fluid, wherein the diluent is selected from a group consisting of benzene, a toluene, an ethylbenzene, xylene, gas oils, diesel fuels, kerosene, and combinations thereof;

and decreasing the viscosity of the hydrocarbon-based fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of the at least one biosurfactant ranges from about 1 ppm to about 15,000 ppm based on the amount of the hydrocarbon-based fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the hydrocarbon-based fluid when adding the at least one biosurfactant thereto ranges from about 110 F (about 43 C) to about 450 F (about 232 C).

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding an additive to the oil-based fluid at the same time or different time from the at least one biosurfactant; wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of a dilution component, a second biosurfactant different from the at least one biosurfactant, an amine, an amine derivative, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one biosurfactant is selected from the group consisting of a sophorolipid, a rhamnolipid, a mannosylerythritol lipid, a trehalose lipid, a cellobiose lipid, a serrawettin, a polyol lipid, an ornithine lipid, a viscosin, a carbohydrate-lipid, a protein polyamine, a diglycosyl diglyceride, a fatty acid, a neutral lipid, a liposan, a surfactin/iturin, a subtilisin, an aminoacid lipid, a lichenysin, a peptide lipid, vesicles & fimbriae, an emulsan, an alasan, and combinations thereof.

6. A treated hydrocarbon-based fluid composition comprising:

a hydrocarbon-based fluid selected from the group consisting of atmospheric or vacuum tower bottoms, bitumen, vacuum tower bottoms derived fuel, and combinations thereof;

at least one biosurfactant selected from the group consisting of mycolic lipids, glycolipids, lipopolysaccharides, lipoproteins-lipopeptides, phospholipids, and combinations thereof;

a diluent selected from a group consisting of benzene, a toluene, an ethylbenzene, xylene, gas oils, diesel fuels, kerosene, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the fluid composition has a decreased viscosity as compared to an otherwise identical hydrocarbon-based fluid absent the at least one biosurfactant.

7. The fluid composition of claim 6 , wherein the effective amount of the at least one biosurfactant ranges from about 1 ppm to about 15,000 ppm based on the amount of the hydrocarbon-based fluid.

8. A treated hydrocarbon-based fluid composition comprising:

a hydrocarbon-based fluid selected from the group consisting of atmospheric or vacuum tower bottoms, bitumen, vacuum tower bottoms derived fuel, and combinations thereof;

at least one sophorolipid;

at least one diluent selected from a group consisting of benzene, a toluene, an ethylbenzene, xylene, gas oils, diesel fuels, kerosene, and combinations thereof; and

wherein the fluid composition has a decreased viscosity as compared to an otherwise identical hydrocarbon-based fluid absent the at least one sophorolipid.

9. The fluid composition of claim 8 , wherein the effective amount of the at least one biosurfactant ranges from about 1 ppm to about 15,000 ppm based on the amount of the hydrocarbon-based fluid.