Effect of Pressure and Temperature Variation on Wax Precipitation in the Wellbore of Ultradeep Gas Condensate Reservoirs

Abstract

Summary To investigate the wax precipitation mechanism of condensate in a wellbore during the ultradeep gas condensate reservoir development, condensate samples were prepared in this work. Changes in the temperature and pressure of fluid flow in the wellbore are simulated by a high-temperature and high-pressure pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) system. This simulation explores their influences on the wax precipitation of the condensate produced from the target reservoir. The results show that the temperature decrease weakens the wax molecular movement activity and promotes the precipitation of wax, resulting in the expansion of the pressure range in which wax precipitation occurs in the system. Meanwhile, decreasing the pressure promotes wax aggregation by increasing van der Waals forces between wax molecules, thereby increasing the wax precipitation rate. At different temperatures, the wax precipitate amount first increases and then decreases with decreasing pressure, which is determined by the wax solubility and remaining content in the system. Since the solubility of a low carbon number component is more sensitive to temperature and pressure changes than that of a high carbon number component, in the early stages of experimental temperature and pressure decreases, the precipitation of coarse crystalline wax with carbon numbers ranging from C16 to C30 is more active than that of microcrystalline wax with carbon numbers exceeding C30. The remaining amount of the former component in the system decreases rapidly, and its precipitation capacity weakens, thus increasing the amount of the latter component in the precipitated wax during the later stage of experiments; this trend corresponds to the shift of the curve peak of the wax carbon number distribution to an abscissa interval with the relatively high carbon numbers. This work can provide reference data for the prediction of the well depth at which the wax precipitation occurs and the wax composition, aiming to promote the implementation of wellbore wax blockage prevention programs.

Study on Formation and Migration Law of Foam in Fractures and Its Influencing Factors

“…Since foam flooding theory was proposed in the 1960s, this technology system has shown advantages in various reservoir development cases with complex reservoir fracture structures. The foam has multiple mechanisms, such as sealing high-permeability fractures, controlling fluid cross-flow, adjusting the injection-production profile, reducing oil viscosity, and improving the oil displacement mobility ratio. − The system is particularly effective in improving the fluid sweep efficiency and oil displacement efficiency in the gas flooding process. Based on the particularity of the gas–liquid two-phase structure, the foam effectively encapsulates nitrogen and blocks the high permeability channels based on the superimposed Jamin effect during the flow process to inhibit the loss of nitrogen from these channels.…”