Asphaltene precipitation and deposition
in the reservoir, near-wellbore
region, and pipelines is one of the critical problems in flow assurance.
It can cause a blockage of pore throats and reduce the permeability
of the rock and the production rate in pipelines. Therefore, a thorough
investigation of the structure and characterization of asphaltenes
is essential to control this issue. Developing a reliable model to
predict the deposition of asphaltenes in the reservoir and pipes is
key to further understand this phenomenon. In this paper, the asphaltene
structure is discussed in terms of the techniques used to identify
the structure, molecular weight, size, and geometry of asphaltene.
The thermodynamic characterization of asphaltenes is highly dependable
upon the structure and molecular weight of particles; thus, a brief
overview of the precipitation of asphaltenes is given. A detailed
comparison of the available models in the literature is provided for
asphaltene deposition in reservoirs as well as flowlines. Several
mechanisms are assumed to develop current models; however, more research
on closure relationships and tuning parameters is needed because most
of them are not universal and are dependent upon the conditions of
the flow. The lack of complete data poses another challenge that hinders
the ability to evaluate the accuracy of existing models. Industrial
case studies and treatment methods are discussed to understand the
application of the theories to practical issues and bridge the gap
between theory and field conditions. Discoveries from the field and
lab-scale experiments are provided in the paper to assist in addressing
the mechanisms of the proposed models and the link between theory
and application. Overall, this paper provides a comprehensive review
of asphaltene deposition modeling and discusses potential improvements
for current models.