Pipelines & Flow Assurance

Jamie Littler

Technical Disciplines and Assurance Manager

Shell UK
Flow Assurance Wax Study on the Ravn Field
Production System

Wood Group Kenny: Hooman Haghighi, Jamie Littler, Fujiang Zhu,

Temitope Solanke
Wintershall: Leif H. Blidegn, Amir Mofidi
Agenda
• Introduction to the Risks of Wax Deposition
• Fluid Tuning
• Ravn Field Overview
• Results of In-field and Export Lines
• Conclusions and Recommendations

4 - www.woodgroup.com
Wax deposition risks
Wax is long-chain simple hydrocarbons.
• Long Chain n-paraffin
• Branched chain paraffin
• Cyclo-paraffin (Naphthene)
Wax deposition can cause:
• Reduction in flow area
• Change in wall friction
• Blockage of the pipeline

These pictures are from public domain.

Wax management
Maintain the system temperature above the
wax appearance and/or fluid pour point.
• Insulation
• Displacement with stabilized crude,
diesel or condensate
• Active heating of the pipeline
Physical removal of wax
• Periodic scraping of the wax layer via
pigging operations.
• Heating
Chemical treatment
Blideng et al. (2011), Running-in a new Platform, 22nd
International Oil Field Chemistry Symposium
Wax deposition (Molecular Diffusion)

Turbulent Core

• Molecular Diffusion is the dominant wax deposition mechanism

• Radial diffusion of dissolved wax molecules in the oil

• Concentration gradient between dissolved wax in the turbulent core

and the wax in solution at the pipe wall

• Dissolved wax diffuses towards the wall where it precipitates

Wax testing
• There are a few lab techniques available for wax
measurements:
• Viscosimetery
• Cold finger
• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
• Cross Polarization Microscopy
• Filter Plugging
• Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)
Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT):
The temperature below which the paraffin's start to
precipitate as wax crystals is defined as crude cloud point or
WAT.
Pour Point:
These pictures are from public domain.

The temperature at which oil sample movement stops is

defined as the crude oil pour point.
Wax properties
Lab Data
WAT [oC] 27.5
WDT [oC] 55
Wax Paraffinic content [wt%] NOTE1 2.625
Cold Finger Test

Note 1: C17+
Static Cold Finger Set-up

• Hayduk Minhas correlation was used to calculate the diffusion

Coefficient (9.78E-08 cm2/s)
• Wax Inhibitor from lab test was shown to reduce the deposition rate
by 40-80% (40% has been assumed as a conservative approach in
this study)
 Viscosity tuning
• A shear-thinning behaviour of the fluid has been observed at low
temperature.
• The shear rate has been identified to represent the actual flowing
condition (for each flow rate) and viscosity has been tuned based on
the selected shear rate.
non-Newtonian Behaviour at Low temperature
Shear Rate Calculation-Catcher Steady State Dynamic Viscosity Profiles For Ravn Oil
Shear rate= 10 S-1 100
1 s-1
Temp= 15 C
90 10 s-1
μ= 22 cp
100 s-1
ID= 0.1016 m 4" 80

ρ= 834.9702 kg/m3
70
QLT= 1950 bpd Dynamic Viscosity mPa.s [cP]

0.003588 m3/s 60

50
u= 0.442594 m/s
Velocity 40
Re= 1706.661 Re<2300 Laminar
30
Re>4000 Turbulent
20
Laminar
10
τ= 1.0 N/m2
s= 0.045805 S-1 Turbulent 0
s= 34.84989 S-1 Laminar 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Temperature °C
note: use the lab data with shear rate =10 S-1
Fluid modelling
Effect of pressure & light end component on WAT
Wintershall Ravn Field
Fluid Modelling
in-Field Line
Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT) as a Function of GOR and Pressure
250

200
Pressure [bara]

150

100
Bubble Line (Case 1+GL - GOR = 1900 Scf/bbl)
WAT (Case 1+GL - GOR = 1900 Scf/bbl)
Bubble Line (Case 2 - GOR = 533 Scf/bbl)
50
WAT (Case 2 - GOR = 533 Scf/bbl)
Bubble Line (Case 3+GL - GOR = 986Scf/bbl)
WAT (Case 3+GL - GOR = 986 Scf/bbl)
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Temperature / Wax Appearance Temperature [oC]

Note: The dynamic changes in the fluid composition (e.g. Gas Oil Ratio) in the pipeline and the effect on WAT has been
considered in thermo-hydraulic simulation. However the model has not taken into account the composition change
due to wax drop-out (conservative).
Ravn system schematic
Fluid Properties
API° 38.2
Viscosity at 60°F (cP) 24.1
WAT (°C) 27.5
N-Paraffin Content (wt%) 2.625
Ambient Conditions
Pour Point (°C) -51

A6A Platform F3-FB Platform

Export T = 55°C - 10°C
54 m/s

66 m
72 m

5°C
0.34 m/s
Ravn

8” Infield Line (18 km) 4” Oil Export Line (119 km)

FWHT= 60°C
Risk of wax deposition (in-field line, early life)
RavanField
Wintershall Ravn
Wintershall Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
In-field Line
Temperature and Wax Depostion Profiles (Case 1+ GL)
70
Fluid T
60 WAT
T Ambient
50

40
Temperature [ C]

30

20

10

-10

-20
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Length [km]
Wax deposition thickness (in-field, early life)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
In-field Line
Wax Depostion Profiles (Case 1+ GL)
14
30 days Risk of Wax Depostion at the Topsides
20 days
12
10 days

10
Wax Thickness [mm]

Risk of Wax Depostion at the Subsea

4

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Length [km]
Total wax deposition (without inhibitor)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
In-field Line - No Inhibitor
Volume of Wax Deposition
10
Case 1
9
Case 2
Case 3
8
Case 4
7
Total Wax Deposited [m3]

4 Production Rates
Gas Lift
Case Oil Gas Water
3
[m3/d] [m3/d] [m3/d] [m3/d]
1 310 29448 0 + GL
2 2 620 58896 0 0
3 620 58896 0 50000
1
4 369 39979 52 100000

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time [days]

Total growth rate of wax (in-field pipeline) is <0.4 m3/d without inhibitor
Total wax deposition (with inhibitor)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
In-field Line - With Inhibitor
Volume of Wax Deposition
8
Case 1
7 Case 2
Case 3

6 Case 4

5
Total Wax Deposited [m3]

3 Production Rates
Gas Lift
Case Oil Gas Water

2 [m3/d] [m3/d] [m3/d] [m3/d]

1 310 29448 0 + GL
2 620 58896 0 0
1 3 620 58896 0 50000
4 369 39979 52 100000

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time [days]

Total growth rate of wax (in-field pipeline) is <0.3 m3/d with inhibitor
Summary of the results (in-field line)
• WAT is lower at higher pressure for the live fluid
• The effect of pressure is more pronounced for the fluids with a
higher GOR (i.e. Gas Oil Ratio)
• As soon as the fluid reaches ambient temperature, no wax
deposition would occur (No heat flux to drive the wax deposition –
cold slurry flow).
• The first location for wax to deposit depends on the flow rates,
GOR, phase fractions, etc.
• After 30 days of operation <4mm and <13mm of (max) wax
thickness can be expected at seabed and topside conditions
respectively without inhibitor.
• The recommended frequency of pigging operation is every month
(based on maximum 4mm of wax deposition in the system) without
inhibitor and every 45 days with inhibitor injection (40% efficiency).
Risk of wax deposition (Export Line)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation - Export Line
Temperature Profile and Risk of Wax Deposition
60
Ambient T
WAT
1950bpd Fluid T
50 2500bpd Fluid T
3500bpd Fluid T
4500bpd Fluid T

40

Risk of Wax Depostion at the Subsea

30
Temperature [ C]

20

10 Risk of Wax Depostion at the Topsides

-10

-20
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Distance (km)
Wax deposition thickness (Export line)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
Export Line
Wax Depostion Profiles (2500 bpd)
14
5 days
Risk of Wax Depostion at the Topsides
10 days
12 15 days
20 days

10 30 days
Wax Thickness [mm]

Risk of Wax Depostion at the Subsea

6

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Length [km]
Pressure drop vs. max wax thickness
(Export Line)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
Export Line
Pressure Drop vs. Max. Deposition Thickness
35
1950 bpd
2500 bpd
30 3500 bpd
4500 bpd

25
Pressure Drop [bara]

20

15

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Max Wax Thickness [mm]
Self insulation on wax deposition
(Export Line)
Wintershall Ravn Field
Wax Deposition Simulation
In-Field Line
Effect of Wax Thickness on Depostion Rates
Case 1 - Deposition Rate Case 2 - Deposition Rate Case 3 - Deposition Rate Case 4 - Deposition Rate
Case 1 - Max Wax Thickness Case 2 - Max Wax Thickness Case 3 - Max Wax Thickness Case 4 - Max Wax Thickness
1.6 14

1.4
12

1.2
Max Deposition Rate [mm/day]

10

Max Wax Thickness [mm]

1
8

0.8

6
0.6

4
0.4

2
0.2

0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time [days]

Results are for the topsides (i.e. the highest deposition thickness and rates)
Summary of the results (Export line)
• Higher flow rate leads to longer section of the export line subject
to wax deposition risk.
• Self-insulation effect was observed (Lower rate of deposition by
time).
• The maximum wax thicknesses identified for the 4 cases are
comparable, however the total wax deposited is more at higher
flow rates.
• After 22 days and 31 days of operation <4mm of (max) wax
thickness can be expected at seabed condition without and with
inhibitor (40% efficiency), respectively.
• Pigging of 4” >100 km export line is challenging and is currently
under further evaluation.
• Alternative wax mitigation strategy like wax dispersant, gas
condensates has been considered.
Other Flow Assurance challenges
• Slugging in the in-field line at the early life and during the start-up
and turn-down operations has been observed. The following
mitigation methods has been considered:
o Increased back pressure (for start-up and turn-down operations)
o Gas lift injection (if required)
 Questions?

Special thanks to: