**Acknowledgements**

The authors would like to extend their appreciation to Dr. Chutima Kongvarhodom, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thoongkru, Bangkok, Thailand, for leading the academic exchange program between KMUTT and the University of New Brunswick (UNB). Likewise, the authors gratefully acknowledge GelTech, SNF Floerger, Husky Energy, and Corridor Resources Inc. for providing samples of polymers, heavy oil, and condensate. The authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the UNB through the Sabbatical Research Grant and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, CFI, research grant.
