Synthesis, characterisation and pre-evaluation of a novel terpolymer as pour point depressants to improve the Malaysian crude oil flowability

Wax deposition is considered one of the most serious operational issues in the crude oil pipelines. This issue occurs when the crude oil temperature decreases below the temperature of wax appearance and paraffin wax starts to precipitate on the pipelines’ inner walls. As a result, the crude oil flow is impeded because of the precipitated wax. The use of polymeric pour point depressants has obtained significant interest among researchers as an approach of wax control for enhancing the flowability of the waxy crude oil. PPD of poly(behenyl acrylate -co-stearyl methacrylate-co- maleic anhydride) (BA-co-SMA-co-MA) was facilely synthesised by the use of free radical polymerisation. The variation of the PPD structure was studied by choosing several essential parameters like monomers ratio, reaction time, initiator concentration, and reaction temperature. Furthermore, viscosity measurement, pour point, and cold finger apparatus have been employed to evaluate the efficiency of the synthesised Polymer. The chemical structure of poly(BA-co-SMA-co-MA) has been identified through the use of Fourier transform infrared as well as nuclear magnetic resonance. The experimental findings demonstrated that the ideal conditions for obtaining the highest yield were 1.5% initiator concentration, reaction time and temperature of 8 h and 100 °C, respectively, and monomer ratio of 1:1:1 (BA:SMA:MA). Under these ideal conditions, the prepared terpolymer reduced the crude oil viscosity at 30 °C and 1500 ppm from 7.2 to 3.2 mPa.s. The cold finger experiment demonstrated that after poly(BA-co-SMA-co-MA) was used as a wax inhibitor, the maximum efficiency of paraffin inhibition of 45.6% was achieved at 200 rpm and 5 °C. Besides, the best performance in depressing the pour point by ΔPP 14 ℃ observed at the concentration of 1500 ppm, which can change the growth characteristics of wax crystals and delay the aggregation of asphaltene and resin, thus effectively improving the flowability of crude oil.

Study of Wax Deposition Pattern of High Wax-Bearing Crude Oil Based on Cold Finger Experiment

In order to solve the problem of wax deposition in waxy crude oil from the Daqing oilfield, cold fingers were used in the experimentation. Compared with other methods, the cold finger method is simple, easy to operate, and takes little space. Measurements of wax deposition with temperature, temperature differences between the crude oil and the wall, deposition time, and cold finger rotation rate were made. The results showed that the deposition rate is up to 0.35 g/h at 8–24 h. The maximum deposition rate at 90 rotations/min was 0.26 g/h, which is 3% higher than the minimum deposition rate.

Preventing Wax Deposition in Crude Oil Using Polyethylene Butene and Nano Zinc Oxide

This research examines the use of 75nm Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (Nano ZnO) and Polyethylene Butene (PEB) in reducing the viscosity of Nigerian waxy crude oil. The rheology of the crude oil was studied by measuring the viscosity and shear stress of crude samples contaminated with varying concentration of PEB (500ppm, 1000ppm, 2000ppm, 3000ppm, 4000ppm and 5000ppm), varying concentrations of Nano ZnO (1wt%, 2wt%, 3wt% and 4wt%) and different blends of PEB and Nano ZnO at temperatures of between 10°C to 35°C and shear rates from 1.7 to 1020s-1. From Rheological Modelling analysis conducted, the Power law pseudoplastic model was the best fit for the experimental data with a regression coefficient of 0.99. Analysis of crude sample before addition of inhibitor showed evidence of non-Newtonian fluid behaviour as the shear stress-shear rate relationship curves were nonlinear due to wax precipitation at low temperatures (10°C to 15°C). The waxy crude demonstrated shear thinning behaviour with increasing shear rates (increasing turbulence) and the viscosity reduced with increasing temperature. The addition of inhibitors (PEB, Nano ZnO and their blends) effected Newtonian fluid behaviour in the crude samples as the shear stress-shear rate relationship curves were linear at all temperatures under study. The optimum concentration of the inhibitors in this study is 2000ppm PEB (causing 33% viscosity reduction) and 1wt% Nano ZnO (effecting 26% viscosity reduction). The best concentration of the blend was 2000ppm PEB blended with 1wt% Nano ZnO which effected a viscosity reduction of 41%. The research demonstrates the novel application of the blend of Nano ZnO and PEB in improving flowability of Nigerian waxy crude oil especially in offshore conditions with prevailing cold temperatures.

Application of Synthesized Novel Biodegradable Pour-Point Depressant from Natural Source on Flow Assurance of Indian Waxy Crude Oil and Comparative Studies with Commercial Pour-Point Depressant

Summary Pour-point depressants (PPDs) were synthesized from natural sources and used in waxy crude oil transportation to reduce the pour point and improve flow. A biodegradable PPD (BPPD) was synthesized and tested to mitigate crude oil flow assurance problems in the present work. The transesterification process was used to synthesize coconut oil ethyl ester (COEE, termed as BPPD). Fourier transform electron spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR), and microscopic analysis were performed for better understanding of mechanisms for both BPPD and a commercially available PPD named PPD-A. The pour point of crude oil was reduced by 12 and 9°C after the addition of 800 ppm BPPD and PPD-A, respectively. The microscopic analysis confirms that the crystals of wax converted to very fine and dispersed particles during mixing of additives, which in turn increase flowability. BPPD performs better to reduce interfacial tension than PPD-A. The maximum reduction of 19% in interfacial tension was observed after the addition of 800 ppm BPPD. BPPD alters the wettability of the pipeline surface from intermediate wet to water-wet within 60 seconds, which results in reduced slip velocity and consequently lessens the deposition of wax. As a result, crude oils will not stick to the wall of the pipe surface and will experience less resistance to flow through pipelines. FTIR analysis indicated that long-chain alkane and aromatic groups are responsible for a higher pour point, and their concentration level was reduced after the addition of BPPD. The viscosity of crude oil was reduced by almost 94% after the addition of 800 ppm BPPD with crude oil, which in turn minimizes pumping costs for crude oil. As a result, the total project cost was reduced substantially. Biodegradability tests confirm that the BPPD is biodegradable and nontoxic. Due to its biodegradability and nontoxic nature, BPPD has a promising capacity to be used in the petroleum industry for easier pipeline transportation of waxy crude.

Influence of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Formation of Voids in Gelled Crude Oil

Production of waxy crude oil from offshore fields has increased in the last decade. However, the operation is being challenged with the high wax content of crude oil that tends to precipitate at lower temperature. This paper presents the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the voids formed in waxy crude oil gel. A flow loop rig that simulates offshore waxy crude oil transportation was used to produce the gel. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging of 3-Tesla system was used to scan the gelled samples in horizontal and vertical pipes. The hydrostatic pressure effect was found to be most significant near the pipe wall as a change in percent voids volume of 0.53% was observed at that region. In particular, the voids volume reduction was more pronounced in the lower half side of the pipe. The total volume of voids in the vertical pipe was lower than that in the horizontal pipe, and this suggests that the gel in the vertical pipe became denser due to the effects from the hydrostatic pressure. Conversely, the voids volume around the pipe core in the vertical pipe was higher when compared to that in the horizontal pipe. The change in voids volume near the pipe core and wall shrunk to a minimum and converged to 0.18% voids volume at larger duration of the hydrostatic effect. Further, hydrostatic pressure was observed to have significant influences for higher duration making the void size to be distributed across and along the pipeline; however, it was found to have insignificant effects on voids size distribution for smaller duration. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of voids formation in vertical pipelines that would further assist in developing a model predicting restart pressure accurately.

Improving Flow Assurance for a Waxy West African Crude Oil via Collaborative Development and Implementation of a Novel Pour Point Depressant Solution

An improved flow assurance solution based on a new additive with robust performance, low treat rate and versatile handling properties was developed successfully. It was applied in a waxy crude oil from West Africa with high pour point and a wax content of about 24%. Crucial for the project success was a close collaboration among all involved stakeholders from operator, service company and chemical supplier. In the initial lab screening by the chemical supplier, tests focused on pour point, viscosity and yield stress. This approach allowed to identify the most efficient type of additive chemistry for the specific crude oil and to meet target performance requirements. Crude oil viscosity and yield stress under pipeline operation conditions could be reduced by more than 95% while reducing the required amount of additive by more than 75% compared to the incumbent solution. This resulted in significant cost savings for the operator and in a reduction of the Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) exposure.