Review of wax deposition in subsea oil pipeline systems and mitigation technologies in the petroleum industry

Olajire, Abass A.

doi:10.1016/j.ceja.2021.100104

Cited by 42 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 130 publications

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“…In addition, in the previous model, the equilibrium ratio Ki was obtained by applying the Standing correlation, which might be less accurate for different conditions of wax formation. Nonetheless, in the new model, the K-value has been obtained by considering all the changes in the component composition of the liquid and gas phases during gas injection that directly affect the K-value (equation 44,45). In addition, when APG is injected into the well, the oil is heavily saturated with gas.…”

Section: Liq Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

An extensive solution to prevent wax deposition formation in gas-lift wells

Nguyen¹,

Александров²,

Рогачев³

2022

J Appl Eng Science

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In recent years, an insurmountable problem in high-wax oil production has been the intensive formation of organic deposits in the bottom-hole zone of the formation, downhole and surface equipment, leading to a dramatic loss in wells production, transportation capability, and subsequently has a detrimental effect on efficiency. Gas-lift is a widely used method, where compressed high-pressure gas is injected through the tubing annulus. Consequently, the current fluid level in the annulus decreases and increases in the tubing string. The compressed gas enters the tubing through gas-lift valves, mixing with the liquid. During production, changes in pressure, temperature, and fluid composition along the well bore highly depend upon the compressed gas injected into the well. At temperatures below the wax appearance temperature, organic wax crystals will form either in bulk volumes of fluid or on cold surfaces of equipment, consequently, covering the surface. Wax formation is a hazardous and costly task in the oil and gas industry, especially when operating gas-lift wells. Hence, the prevention of wax formation in gas-lift wells is of utmost importance. Although, numerous methods have been implemented to handle the wax formation problem in recent decades, questions concerning their economic viability as well as their effectiveness remain relevant. In this paper, a complete algorithm for determining changes in the oil component composition in a gas-lift well during the injection of associated petroleum gas is detailed. The obtained results play a pivotal role in the study of wax deposition. A technological scheme has been developed to prevent wax deposit formation in the tubing strings during gas-lift well operation. A simulation using the introduced process and technology has been run, and an observed result obtained. After running the simulation, we determined the optimal composition of the associated petroleum injection gas based on the required flow rate of the working agent and the lowest value of the wax appearance temperature. This method offers potential solutions to increasing gas-lift well production efficiency under complex wax formation conditions.

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Section: Liq Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

An extensive solution to prevent wax deposition formation in gas-lift wells

Nguyen¹,

Александров²,

Рогачев³

2022

J Appl Eng Science

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“…They generally obey the power law equation below: τ = K γ η …………………………. (6) Where, τ = Shear stress, in N/m 2 ; γ = Shear rate, in s -1 ; η = kinematic viscosity, in cm 2 /s; K = Proportionality Coefficient which may assume any value.…”

Section: Rheology Of Crude Oilmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At shutdown, the estimated cost of replacement and downtime is pegged at $30,000,000.00 (thirty million dollars) [11] The problem of wax solution is amplified by the fact that most oil production sites are moving deeper and deeper offshore [13]. This trend is sure to continue into the foreseeable future as the ocean seabeds have lots of deposits yet untapped [6]. Because of the numerous threats it poses, petroleum waxes continues to receive attention as researchers seek to find a lasting solution.…”

Section: Wax Formation Problem In Crude Oil Transportation Through Pi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Crude oil and the problem of wax deposition on pipeline systems during transportation: A review

Onwumelu¹,

Onwuka²,

Nnebeana³

et al. 2022

World J. Adv. Res. Rev.

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Crude oil, the world’s major source of energy, is obtained from the earth as a Newtonian fluid and needs to be transported to refineries for further processing. Pipeline transport has proven to be the most efficient, environmental-friendly and cost effective of all modes of crude oil transportation from subsea production sites. However the formation and deposition of waxes (mainly paraffinic and asphaltenic components) along pipelines remains one of the greatest flow assurance problem in the petroleum industry. This is aided by attainment of wax appearance temperature (WAT), the crude’s hydrocarbon contents and rheological properties, and the production conditions amongst others. The deposited waxes clog the pipeline, reduces the flow diameter, converts the behavior of the fluid from Newtonian to non-Newtonian, decreases throughput, causes more work on pumps and other process equipment, increases energy consumption, and ultimately raises the cost of production thereby decreasing profits. It also leads to several downtimes and in extreme cases can cause permanent shut down of facilities. Several studies have been done to understand the nature of crude oil waxes and the various techniques for solving this problem. This paper takes a critical look at crude oil and reviews the current state of research into the causative factors, deposition mechanisms and remediation methods including the thermal, mechanical, biological and chemical techniques. At the end there is a conclusion and further research on the use of biological techniques (microorganisms) has been advised herein.

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“…As the temperature falls below the WAT, wax starts precipitating and contributes to the deposition on the inner surface of the pipe . To track the deposition along the pipeline, mechanisms such as molecular diffusion, Brownian diffusion, and gravity settling were considered in the literature. ,,− In this study, wax particles along the flowline are traced by applying a control volume ( Figure ) and obtaining mass balance based on the particle size analogous to the model proposed in Alhosani and Daraboina .…”

Section: Modeling Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Particulate Deposition Modeling for Predicting Paraffin Thickness in Flowlines: Application of Data Analytics for Model Parameters

Daraboina

Alhosani

2021

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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Wax deposition in flowlines is a major flow assurance issue that lowers the oil production rate and causes significant economic losses. This justifies the need for reliable tools to accurately predict the deposition process and analyze the risk factors in production design and management. This study developed a mechanistic model based on the particulate deposition phenomenon. A mass balance was applied based on particle size, and the growth was tracked by the population balance model. The concept of critical size was applied to determine the fraction of aggregates that can deposit on the wall. An integrated simulator is developed by coupling thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, heat transfer, and deposition modules. In addition, data analytics was applied on available flow loop deposition data to develop a closure relation for the precipitation rate constant as a function of time, temperature, flow rate, and diameter. Then, another set of deposition data was used to verify the accuracy of the proposed model and closure. After the robustness of the developed model was tested, a sensitivity analysis was performed based on pipe size, particle size, and flow rate on the paraffin deposition rate. Based on the model results, the rate of deposition increased with increasing the diameter size, decreasing the initial particle size, and reducing the flow rate. This is attributed to several factors, such as the flow velocity that affects the sticking probability and the advection force applied on bigger particle sizes. Furthermore, the model results can aid in estimating optimum conditions to reduce or manage wax deposition in transport flowlines.

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Review of wax deposition in subsea oil pipeline systems and mitigation technologies in the petroleum industry

Cited by 42 publications

References 130 publications

An extensive solution to prevent wax deposition formation in gas-lift wells

An extensive solution to prevent wax deposition formation in gas-lift wells

Crude oil and the problem of wax deposition on pipeline systems during transportation: A review

Particulate Deposition Modeling for Predicting Paraffin Thickness in Flowlines: Application of Data Analytics for Model Parameters

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