Online estimation of wax deposition thickness in single-phase sub-sea pipelines based on acoustic chemometrics: A feasibility study

Halstensen, Maths; Arvoh, Benjamin Kaku; Amundsen, Lene; Hoffmann, Rainer

doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2012.10.004

Cited by 32 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This problem is particularly severe when moving toward deep‐offshore reservoir production due to the low sea water temperature . For wax prevention and remediation, varieties of techniques have been developed, including mechanical pigging, biological treatment, chemical inhibitor injection, exothermic chemical reaction, cold flow, and thermal managements (inductive heating and pipe coating), among which mechanical pigging is the most popular one . Although it has been a regular practice for most waxy crude oil pipes, field pigging operation is still surprisingly empirically operated due to the elusiveness in wax removal mechanism .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances and Future Challenges of Wax Removal in Pipeline Pigging Operations on Crude Oil Transportation Systems

Huang

Wang³

et al. 2020

Energy Tech

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Wax deposition is a severe flow assurance challenge that threatens waxy crude oil production and transportation. For wax remediation, pipeline pigging is the most widely used technique. However, the elusiveness of wax removal mechanism and the lack of reliable methods to evaluate wax breaking force and wax removal efficiency easily trigger pig stalling and wax blockage in field pigging operations. Modeling wax breaking force and wax removal efficiency, therefore, promotes the pigging confidence. This Review seeks to clarify the current picture of wax removal research in crude oil pipeline pigging. Relevant wax deposit properties including wax layer thickness and strength are discussed. Wax removal mechanisms are summarized from perspectives of wax–pig interaction, macroscopic force response, and scenarios with oil flow. Prediction models of wax breaking force and wax removal efficiency are analyzed comprehensively. Pig geometry optimization using this model is given. In addition, the key roles of wax deposit strength, viscoelasticity and thixotropy, foam pig investigation, and wax plug prediction are highlighted for guiding future endeavors in this area.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances and Future Challenges of Wax Removal in Pipeline Pigging Operations on Crude Oil Transportation Systems

Huang

Wang³

et al. 2020

Energy Tech

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“…In the worst-case, the facilities could completely be blocked, causing significantly economic losses that may even lead to abandoning the wells (Adeyemi and Sulaimon, 2012;Matzain et al, 2002;Rashidi et al, 2016;Rittirong et al, 2015;Sanjay et al, 1995;Singh et al, 2000). This particularly occur in a low temperature environment such as the offshore production (Halstensen et al, 2013;Li et al, 2019). Usually, the deposition occurs within the flow lines, surface equipment, topside facilities, downstream refineries and in some of the extreme case occurs in the tubing (Chala et al, 2018;Giacchetta et al, 2018;Guan, 2016;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depositional Behaviour of Highly Macro-Crystalline Waxy Crude Oil Blended with Polymer Inhibitors in a Pipe with a 45-Degree Bend

Makwashi

Barros

Sarkodie

et al. 2019

SPE Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition

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Production, transportation and storage of highly waxy crude oil is very challenging. This is because they are usually characterised by high content of macro-crystalline waxes, predominantly consisting of n-alkanes (C 18 to C 36) that which could cause costly deposition within the wellbore and production equipment. The accumulation of deposited wax can decrease oil production rates, cause equipment breakdown, and clog the transport and storage facilities. Currently, different polymeric inhibitors have been utilised in the oil and gas field to mitigate and prevent wax deposition. However, as of today, there is no distinctive wax inhibitor that could work effectively for all oil fields. One of the objectives of this work is to study the efficacy of a blended commercial wax inhibitor-pour point depressant on wax deposition mitigation in a flow rig designed with 0 and 45-degree bends in the pipeline. Standard laboratory techniques using high-temperature gas chromatography (HTGC), rheometer rig, polarized microscope and elution chromatography were employed to obtain n-paraffin distribution, oil viscosity, WAT, pour point and SARA fractions. Series of experimentation were carried out with and without the inhibitor in a straight pipe test section. The severity of wax deposition in the pipeline built-in with a 45-degree bend is compared with a straight pipe. The blended inhibitor was tested at concentrations of 500, 1000, and 1500-ppm, under laminar and turbulent conditions. The crude oil sample was found to be naturally waxy with wax content of 19.75wt%, n-paraffin distributions ranges from C 15-C 74 , WAT and pour point of 30°C and 25°C respectively. The severity of wax deposition in the test section is 43% higher in 45-degree bend compared to straight pipe. However, the severity of the deposition was reduced to 12.3% at extremely low temperature and flow rate. Nonetheless, better inhibition performance was achieved at 25 and 30°C. The wax thickness was reduced from δ wax ≈ 0.36mm at 5 l/min to δ wax ≈ 0.132mm at 7 l/min at constant coolant temperature (25°C) and 1500-ppm, whereas, no wax deposition was observed at 11 l/ min. Mechanisms such as molecular diffusion due to frictional pressure losses, shear dispersion and gravity settling due to momentum change and hydrostatic, alongside with thermal difference are the main drivers for wax deposition in both straight and bend pipe. Whereas, the interaction mechanisms such as the nucleation, alongside with adsorption, co-crystallization, and solubilisation between the new blended inhibitor and the wax crystals provide an improved inhibition performance in the system even at extreme cases.

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“…• pressure difference method. The conventional technique is flow loop testing (Amine et al 2008); • temperature-based energy balance method (Halstensen et al 2013); • ultrasonic transit time measurement (Gunarathne 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigations of temperature and dilution effect on rheological properties of waxy crude oil

Struchkov

Roschin²,

Litvin³

et al. 2019

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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The purpose of the paper is to study the effect of temperature and hydrocarbon solvent addition on thixotropy of waxy crude oil. Oil is a complex multicomponent hydrocarbon system. There are many interactions between wax and asphaltene, wax and aromatics, asphaltene and resins in original oil. For example, the dispersion of asphaltenes is known to be influenced by resins. The resins are adsorbed onto the surface of the asphaltenes, whereby the asphaltenes are not aggregated. Wax is adsorbed by fine asphaltene particles and wax appearance temperature (WAT) observed at low temperature (formed wax crystals too small to be detected by measuring system). The authors of the paper have studied the separate effect of two solvents (kerosene and diesel fuel), wax concentration and impurities (kaolinite) on WAT to understand how all these factors affect WAT in wax-bearing solutions individually. Wax-bearing solutions in wax concentration range from 10 to 60% by weight were investigated by the visual and rheological methods under atmospheric pressure. It is shown that the diesel-based solutions have higher WAT than the kerosene-based solutions. Studies have shown that the increase in wax concentration in solution leads to an increase in WAT. The paper describes that the addition of impurities (kaolinite) to the solutions resulted in an increase in WAT. Besides, it is shown that WAT obtained by rheological method is higher on average of 1 °C than WAT obtained by visual method. The authors suggested that under constant other conditions (pressure, resin and asphaltenes content, etc.) an increase in wax content in oil and the content of impurities will lead to an increase in WAT. The scientific basis for this conclusion is that, in the future we can, adding or removing from solution hydrocarbon components, with certain assumptions, simulate the properties of oil. In particular, this will allow us to study separate interactions between the wax and asphaltene, wax and aromatics, and wax and naphtha compounds, and abstract away from other factors. The waxy crude oil production in the Samara region is complicated by impurities entrainment and non-Newtonian properties of oil. The investigations of waxy crude oil were provided with light scattering method (in near infrared region), microscopy under high pressure with the grain size analysis (visual) and a rheological method. We obtained the unique «viscosity superanomaly» discovered by Vinogradov and Malkin (Rheol Acta 5(3):188-193, 1966) at low temperatures and shear stress by rheological method under atmospheric pressure. The area of the hysteresis loop on the flow curve increases as the temperature decreases, which is caused by the formation of the lattice by wax. We have also shown that the use of solvent and the increase in temperature allow to reduce «viscosity superanomaly». Simultaneous use of light scattering and microscopy under high-pressure methods allows increasing in accuracy of measuring. For waxy crude oil, there will also be a difference between rheological and visual...

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Online estimation of wax deposition thickness in single-phase sub-sea pipelines based on acoustic chemometrics: A feasibility study

Cited by 32 publications

References 22 publications

Advances and Future Challenges of Wax Removal in Pipeline Pigging Operations on Crude Oil Transportation Systems

Advances and Future Challenges of Wax Removal in Pipeline Pigging Operations on Crude Oil Transportation Systems

Depositional Behaviour of Highly Macro-Crystalline Waxy Crude Oil Blended with Polymer Inhibitors in a Pipe with a 45-Degree Bend

Investigations of temperature and dilution effect on rheological properties of waxy crude oil

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