Development of a Methodology and Software Package for Predicting the Formation of Organic Deposits Based on the Results of Laboratory Studies

Abstract

One of the main problems in the oil industry is the fallout of asphaltene–resin–paraffin deposits (ARPDs) during oil production and transportation. The formation of organic deposits leads to reduced equipment life and reduced production. Currently, there is no single methodology for the numerical simulation of the ARPD dropout process. The aim of our work was to obtain a correlation dependence characterizing the rate of wax growth over time for oils in the Perm Krai, depending on temperature, pressure, and speed conditions. Experimental data for 20 oil samples were obtained using a Wax Flow Loop installation that simulates fluid movement in tubing. The developed correlation was tested in 154 wells. The results of numerical modeling of the paraffin precipitation process made it possible to correct the inter-treatment period of scraping for 109 wells (71%), indicating the high accuracy of the developed approach.

Keywords

• asphaltene-resin-paraffin deposits
• rate of sludging
• prediction of the formation of deposits
• computer modeling of the operation of oil production wells
• inter-treatment period of wells