Exercise 1 Waxy Crude Oil.

Scenario: This is an onshore oilfield in a cool temperate climate zone. The heavy crude oil has API = 18 has a wax appearance temperature = 40oC. Typical wellhead flowing temperature is 45oC 50oC. In-field flowlines are long (>10 km) and carry the crude to a processing station where there is also storage for the separated oil. Water cut is between 10% and 40%. In summer the flowlines generally operate trouble-free but during winter the precipitation and deposition of wax in pipelines is expected to occur. Question: How does the operator know that a significant amount of wax has begun to precipitate? Solution: Without stopping production the operator may detect an increase in pressure drop along the line and may also experience a drop in production rate if significant wax accumulates. Additionally wax solids will interfere with the efficiency of the oil/water separation process downstream.

Additional Questions (Please send solutions or comments) Q1: If the laboratory has identified a wax inhibitor which is effective at 300 mg /litre dose, do you think he should apply the inhibitor all year or just during the winter months?

Q2: What other options should the operator explore in order to overcome the seasonal problem of wax deposition?

Q3.: If was solids are formed in the flowline just upstream of the process separator, suggest how these solids should be removed