Catalytic activity of bimetallic nanoparticles based on iron and nickel sulfides for hydrogenolysis of heavy oil in case of Boca de Jaruco reservoir

•Catalysts promoted the hydrogenolysis of resins and asphaltenes.•The bimetallic catalyst based on nickel and iron metals with the mass ratio of 1:1 exhibits the best catalytic performance.•Hydrothermal treatment of heavy oil in the presence of bimetallic nanoparticles significantly reduced its viscosity.•The destruction products of asphaltene fragments were observed by GC–MS in the composition of saturates and aromatics.•The content of asphaltenes decreases with the increase of iron metal concentration in the composition of the bimetallic catalyst.