Development of Paraffin Deposition Inhibitors in the Producing Oil Field Facilities

Abstract

In case of the paraffin deposition in the producing oil fields, the flow assurance can be deteriorated leading to decrease in production and inefficient field operation. In this study, to inhibit the paraffin deposition in advance, a customized chemical product was developed by blending the chemical components that can interfere the crystalline growth and disperse the paraffin components in crude oil for the Kazakhstan field. The performance of the product was verified using pour point measurement and cold finger test. Futhermore, by optimizing the performance of the inhibitor through flow simulation the complete product was successfully developed displaying over 90% inhibition rate per 1,000 ppm as targeted. The processes of the development and performance evaluation of the customized product for inhibiting paraffin deposition are presented in this study.