Depositional Behaviour of Highly Macro-Crystalline Waxy Crude Oil Blended with Polymer Inhibitors in a Pipe with a 45-Degree Bend
Journal article
Makwashi, Nura, Barros, Delcia Soraia, Sarkodie, Kwame, Zhao, Donglin and Diaz, Pedro A. (2019). Depositional Behaviour of Highly Macro-Crystalline Waxy Crude Oil Blended with Polymer Inhibitors in a Pipe with a 45-Degree Bend. Day 4 Fri, September 06, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2118/195752-ms
| Authors | Makwashi, Nura, Barros, Delcia Soraia, Sarkodie, Kwame, Zhao, Donglin and Diaz, Pedro A. |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstract Production, transportation and storage of highly waxy crude oil is very challenging. This is because they are usually characterised by high content of macro-crystalline waxes, predominantly consisting of n-alkanes (C18 to C36) that which could cause costly deposition within the wellbore and production equipment. The accumulation of deposited wax can decrease oil production rates, cause equipment breakdown, and clog the transport and storage facilities. Currently, different polymeric inhibitors have been utilised in the oil and gas field to mitigate and prevent wax deposition. However, as of today, there is no distinctive wax inhibitor that could work effectively for all oil fields. One of the objectives of this work is to study the efficacy of a blended commercial wax inhibitor - pour point depressant on wax deposition mitigation in a flow rig designed with 0 and 45-degree bends in the pipeline. Standard laboratory techniques using high-temperature gas chromatography (HTGC), rheometer rig, polarized microscope and elution chromatography were employed to obtain n-paraffin distribution, oil viscosity, WAT, pour point and SARA fractions. Series of experimentation were carried out with and without the inhibitor in a straight pipe test section. The severity of wax deposition in the pipeline built-in with a 45-degree bend is compared with a straight pipe. The blended inhibitor was tested at concentrations of 500, 1000, and 1500-ppm, under laminar and turbulent conditions. The crude oil sample was found to be naturally waxy with wax content of 19.75wt%, n-paraffin distributions ranges from C15-C74, WAT and pour point of 30°C and 25°C respectively. The severity of wax deposition in the test section is 43% higher in 45-degree bend compared to straight pipe. However, the severity of the deposition was reduced to 12.3% at extremely low temperature and flow rate. Nonetheless, better inhibition performance was achieved at 25 and 30°C. The wax thickness was reduced from δwax ≈ 0.36mm at 5 l/min to δwax ≈ 0.132mm at 7 l/min at constant coolant temperature (25°C) and 1500-ppm, whereas, no wax deposition was observed at 11 l/min. Mechanisms such as molecular diffusion due to frictional pressure losses, shear dispersion and gravity settling due to momentum change and hydrostatic, alongside with thermal difference are the main drivers for wax deposition in both straight and bend pipe. Whereas, the interaction mechanisms such as the nucleation, alongside with adsorption, co-crystallization, and solubilisation between the new blended inhibitor and the wax crystals provide an improved inhibition performance in the system even at extreme cases. |
| Keywords | Wax Deposition; 45-Degree bend pipe; Wax Inhibitor; Mechanism |
| Year | 2019 |
| Journal | Day 4 Fri, September 06, 2019 |
| Publisher | SPE |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.2118/195752-ms |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 03 Sep 2019 |
| 03 Sep 2019 | |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 02 Aug 2019 |
| Deposited | 01 Apr 2020 |
| Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
| ISBN | 9781613996645 |
Permalink -
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/896z6
Download files
Publisher's version
| SPE-195752-MS-Depositional Behaviour of Highly Macro-Crystalline Waxy Crude Oil Blended with Polymer Inhibitors in a Pipe with a 45-Degree Bend .pdf | ||
| License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
| File access level: Open | ||
88
total views169
total downloads0
views this month4
downloads this month
Export as
Related outputs
From Soybeans to Tofu: The Underlying Chemistry
Wang, B., Wang, Qi, Wang, B., Wang, S., Zhang, Y. and Zhao, D. (2023). From Soybeans to Tofu: The Underlying Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00096Directional motion of Gallium-based liquid metal induced by asymmetric chemical surrounding
Wang, B., Wang, Q., Zhang Y.W, Zhang Y.C., Li Y. and Zhao, D. (2023). Directional motion of Gallium-based liquid metal induced by asymmetric chemical surrounding. Journal of Chemical Education. 100 (8), pp. 3156-3161. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00311A Mechanistic Model on Catalyst Deactivation by Coke Formation in a CSTR Reactor
Zhao, D., Muhammad, I, Makwashi, N., Ahmed, T and Manos, G. (2023). A Mechanistic Model on Catalyst Deactivation by Coke Formation in a CSTR Reactor. Processes. 11 (3), pp. 944-962. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030944Biosurfactant production using Egyptian oil fields indigenous bacteria for microbial enhanced oil recovery
Hamed Aboelkhair, H., Diaz, P. and Attia, A. (2022). Biosurfactant production using Egyptian oil fields indigenous bacteria for microbial enhanced oil recovery. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 208, p. 109601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109601Environmental comparative study of biosurfactants production and optimization using bacterial strains isolated from Egyptian oil fields
Hamed Aboelkhair, H., Diaz, P. and Attia, P.A. (2022). Environmental comparative study of biosurfactants production and optimization using bacterial strains isolated from Egyptian oil fields. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 216, p. 110796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2022.110796
Experimental investigation of liquid viscosity's effect on the flow behaviour and void fraction in a small diameter bubble column: How much do we know?
Abdulkadir, M., Kajero, O., Zhao, D., Al–Sarkhi, A. and Hunt, A. (2021). Experimental investigation of liquid viscosity's effect on the flow behaviour and void fraction in a small diameter bubble column: How much do we know? Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. 207, p. 109182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109182Investigating the Behaviour of Air–Water Upward and Downward Flows: Are You Seeing What I am Seeing?
Zhao, D., Abdulkadir, M., Kajero, O., Olarinoye, F. O., Udebhulu, O. D., Aliyu, A. M. and Al-Sarkhi, A. (2021). Investigating the Behaviour of Air–Water Upward and Downward Flows: Are You Seeing What I am Seeing? Energies. 14 (21), p. 7071. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217071Study on Waxy Crudes Characterisation and Chemical Inhibitor Assessment
Zhao, D., Makwashi, N., Abdulkadir, M., Ahmed, T. and Muhammad, I. (2021). Study on Waxy Crudes Characterisation and Chemical Inhibitor Assessment . Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108734Experimental investigation of the characteristics of the transition from spherical cap bubble to slug flow in a vertical pipe
Abdulkadir, M., Ugwoke, B., Abdulkareem, L., Zhao, D. and Hernandez-Perez, V. (2021). Experimental investigation of the characteristics of the transition from spherical cap bubble to slug flow in a vertical pipe. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2021.110349Insights into the transition from plug to slug flow in a horizontal pipe: An experimental study
Abdulkadir, M., Zhao, D., Abdulkareem, L.A., Asikolaye, N.O. and Hernandez-Perez, V. (2020). Insights into the transition from plug to slug flow in a horizontal pipe: An experimental study. Chemical Engineering Research and Design. 163, pp. 85-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2020.08.025Continuous Hydrothermal Flow Synthesis of S-Functionalised Carbon Quantum Dots for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Baragau, I., Lu, Z., Power, P.N., Morgan, J.D, Bowen, J., Diaz, P. and Kellici, S. (2020). Continuous Hydrothermal Flow Synthesis of S-Functionalised Carbon Quantum Dots for Enhanced Oil Recovery. Chemical Engineering Journal. 405, p. 126631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.126631Pressure drop, void fraction and flow pattern of vertical air-silicone oil flows using differential pressure transducer and advanced instrumentation
Zhao, D., Abdulkadir, M, Abdulkareem, LA and Jatto, DG (2020). Pressure drop, void fraction and flow pattern of vertical air-silicone oil flows using differential pressure transducer and advanced instrumentation. Chemical Engineering Research and Design. 159, pp. 262-277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2020.04.009Investigation of the Severity of Wax Deposition in Bend Pipes Under Subcooled Pipelines Conditions
Makwashi, Nura, Sarkodie, Kwame, Akubo, Stephen, Zhao, Donglin and Diaz, Pedro (2019). Investigation of the Severity of Wax Deposition in Bend Pipes Under Subcooled Pipelines Conditions. Day 4 Thu, June 06, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2118/195559-msSlug flow monitoring in pipes using a novel non intrusive optical infrared sensing technology
Sarkodie, K, Fergusson-Rees, A, Makwashi, N and Diaz, P (2019). Slug flow monitoring in pipes using a novel non intrusive optical infrared sensing technology. SPE Europec featured at 81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition. Society of Petroleum Engineers. https://doi.org/10.2118/195449-msCharacteristics of churn and annular flows in a large diameter vertical riser
Zhao, D, Abdulkadir, M, Mbalisigwe, UP, Hernandez-Perez, V, Azzopardi, BJ and Tahir, S (2019). Characteristics of churn and annular flows in a large diameter vertical riser. International Journal of Multiphase Flow. 113, pp. 250-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2019.01.013