Review of wax deposition in subsea oil pipeline systems and mitigation technologies in the petroleum industry

Abstract

Wax deposition in oil subsea pipeline systems is a big challenge in petroleum industry due to the frigid temperature of pipe walls that influences crystallization and wax deposition on the inner surface of the pipe over time leading to blockage. An understanding of the mechanisms and models of wax deposition process can be useful for the management and planning of mitigation strategies for deposition of solid wax crystals. This article presents major mechanisms and wax prediction models used for the estimation of wax deposition as well as technology used for mitigating wax deposition in reservoirs and flowlines.

Keywords

• Wax
• Fluidity
• Deposition mechanisms
• Prediction models
• Mitigation techniques