Simultaneous Flow Assurance and Production Optimization Using Chemical Paraffin Inhibition Method

Abstract

This paper highlights efforts to eliminate wax production, by deriving a permanent flow assurance solution for a producing well and mitigate frequent downtime and expensive remediation operation. In two case studies, the efficacy of a Paraffin dispersant was compared with that of a Paraffin inhibitor, with respect to a producing well's wax formation tendencies and characteristics with the view of optimizing well performance subject to chemical injectivity. In the first case, well fluid was continuously treated with Paraffin dispersant to prevent wax deposition and subsequent blockage on the flowline but this effort proved ineffective because of periodic remediation. There was no significant performance improvement in this case. In the Paraffin inhibitor case, an appreciable increase in pressure differential across choke was observed as well as significant production increase which improved with the treatment time of the well fluid with the paraffin inhibitor. It was evident that Paraffin Inhibitor Injection was not just a flow assurance solution but also a production optimization tool. The project also saved the company about a million dollars annually, used for remediation of wax blockage on the flowline and sometimes sectional replacement of the flow line. Hence operation was a cost-effective method to achieve flow assurance and optimal production performance.

Technology for Preventing the Wax Deposit Formation in Gas-Lift Wells at Offshore Oil and Gas Fields in Vietnam

“…Chemical solvents are also employed when oils are susceptible to surfactants or produce water with a high concentration of dissolved solid particles. The well-known chemical solvents to dissolve wax deposits are carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide, kerosene, and diesel oil [30][31][32][33]. The most significant advantage of using chemical solvents is their pricing and the fact that they do not always require complicated instrumentation.…”