The Application of a Novel Method to the Study of Heavy Fuel Oil Stability and the Performance of Additives

Östlund, Jenny-Ann; Russell, T J; Chia, Lionel

doi:10.4271/2004-28-0092

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…It measures the stability of the asphaltene fraction in a particular crude oil and the relative performance of an asphaltene inhibitor or dispersant upon the specific destabilization conditions applied. 25 Treatment chemicals are ranked by remaining low transmission values over a certain period of 15 min. Less effective or ineffective chemicals will not suppress asphaltene flocculation completely, because the asphaltene particles grow and are prone to sedimentation.…”

Section: ■ Chemical Treatment For Flow Assurancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The equipment, a Turbiscan MA2000 from Formulaction, uses a NIR light source (880 nm) to measure the average transmittance of a sample cell. It measures the stability of the asphaltene fraction in a particular crude oil and the relative performance of an asphaltene inhibitor or dispersant upon the specific destabilization conditions applied . Treatment chemicals are ranked by remaining low transmission values over a certain period of 15 min.…”

Section: Selection Of the Wax/asphaltene Treatment Chemicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Enhanced Evaluation of Asphaltene-Related Oil Properties To Facilitate Production in a Complex Offshore Environment

Krueckert

Seibold²

2018

Energy Fuels

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Asphaltene destabilization is a widespread problem in the oil industry. Under initial pressure and temperature conditions in the oil reservoir, asphaltenes are stabilized by building micelle structures in which they are associated with resin and aromatic compounds. Stable asphaltenes do not pose problems during oil production; however, if pressure/temperature conditions change throughout the production system, asphaltenes might become destabilized. Once destabilized, asphaltenes can potentially impair the whole production system. The development and implementation of a profound chemical injection strategy to mitigate asphaltene-related problems are paramount for a successful and sustainable fluid production if routine operating conditions are within the asphaltene instability range. A preventive asphaltene mitigation strategy is generally preferred; i.e., it is beneficial to avoid the occurrence of asphaltene-related problems in the first instance, instead of applying any remediation method afterward. Boundary conditions defined by the oil characteristics and the actual production conditions can make the development of a completely preventive chemical treatment strategy challenging. This applies especially in the offshore sector of the industry with given limitations in accessibility to the production and storage facilities accompanied by stringent regulatory requirements. This paper describes the analysis of a crude oil produced in a complex offshore environment, including mixing with condensate and storage in a gravity-based subsea tank. It highlights the asphaltene-related characteristics and compares different technologies to assess stability of the oil in neat form and upon mixing with condensate. The impact of different asphaltene inhibitors/dispersants on the oil has been investigated, and additionally, the effectiveness of dissolver chemicals on artificially sedimented asphaltene deposits has been evaluated. Different lab experiments have been conducted to determine the asphaltene concentration in the fluid and sediment layer over time with the aim to quantify the sedimentation. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to simulate potential sedimentation phenomena. This paper is based on a presentation given at the 19th International Conference on Petroleum Phase Behavior and Fouling (Petrophase 2018) in Park City, UT, U.S.A. Names of the platforms, distinct locations, and actual production numbers are not revealed in the paper with respect to information protection requirements of the parties involved.

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Section: ■ Chemical Treatment For Flow Assurancementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Selection Of the Wax/asphaltene Treatment Chemicalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Evaluation of Asphaltene-Related Oil Properties To Facilitate Production in a Complex Offshore Environment

Krueckert

Seibold²

2018

Energy Fuels

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“…Stability analyses were performed on several unstable crude oils using the asphaltene dispersancy test (ADT) 34 and Turbiscan. 35 Performance of the chemical inhibitors was monitored on crude oils both before and after asphaltene flocculation has occurred. ADT and Turbiscan methodologies were suitably modified to assess the effectiveness of the inhibitors in restabilizing flocculated asphaltenes, when the treatment was administered following destabilization and sedimentation.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this paper, we describe the laboratory analyses on the destabilization and redispersion of flocculated asphaltenes in crude oils aided by commercial asphaltene treatment chemical. Stability analyses were performed on several unstable crude oils using the asphaltene dispersancy test (ADT) and Turbiscan . Performance of the chemical inhibitors was monitored on crude oils both before and after asphaltene flocculation has occurred.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reversibility of Asphaltene Flocculation with Chemicals

Juyal¹,

Ho²,

Yen³

et al. 2012

Energy Fuels

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Restabilization of asphaltenes after they precipitate out in the production systems can be of great industrial significance with respect to remediation. Here, we discuss the redispersion of asphaltenes in the hydrocarbon phase aided by treatment chemicals in the laboratory using the asphaltene dispersancy test (ADT), Turbiscan, and modified ADT method. Through extensive laboratory experiments on a suite of dead crude oils and treatment chemicals, redispersion and restabilization of asphaltenes was observed upon treatment with asphaltene treatment chemicals, even when the destabilized system comprising of untreated crude oil in heptane was allowed to age for extended periods. We infer that precipitated asphaltenes can be effectively restabilized by the treatment chemicals. This could have potential applicability in mitigating asphaltene challenges, specifically in topside crude oil production facilities.

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Advantages of Applying a Multifaceted Approach to Asphaltene Inhibitor Selection

Bae

Fouchard

Garner

et al. 2016

Day 1 Mon, May 02, 2016

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The right Asphaltene Inhibitor (AI) selection is crucial for the control of asphaltene issues in oil production. Although many factors contribute for the asphaltene precipitation/deposition in the fields, the chemical selection process in the laboratory were often conducted only under ambient temperature and pressure. In this paper, we introduced a multifaceted approach for asphaltene inhibitor selection process to overcome the test condition discrepancy between laboratory and the fields. The importance of temperature on the performance of chemicals was evidenced by our high temperature optical scanning device results. The Coupon Deposition Test (CDT) clearly demonstrated the difference between deposition and precipitation behavior and the impact of the water phase on inhibitor performance. High pressure Asphaltene Rocking Cell (ARC) enabled to incorporate high pressure, high temperature and water conditions in the laboratory to show the difference of inhibitor performances. By incorporating field conditions such as temperature, brine composition and pressure into our tests, better recommendations can be achieved that would have not been possible with any optical, precipitation based technique. Furthermore, a suite of AI test methods which cover various field conditions brings a degree of refinement in product selection unmatched by any single method and allows for selection of the best asphaltene chemical program for a particular field through its life cycle.

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The Application of a Novel Method to the Study of Heavy Fuel Oil Stability and the Performance of Additives

Cited by 3 publications

References 3 publications

Enhanced Evaluation of Asphaltene-Related Oil Properties To Facilitate Production in a Complex Offshore Environment

Enhanced Evaluation of Asphaltene-Related Oil Properties To Facilitate Production in a Complex Offshore Environment

Reversibility of Asphaltene Flocculation with Chemicals

Advantages of Applying a Multifaceted Approach to Asphaltene Inhibitor Selection

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