TY - THES

T1 - Minimizing of production problems (prevention of paraffin precipitation and deposition)

AU - Onuoha, Boniface Onyema

N1 - embargoed until null

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - After a huge amount of money has been spent on drilling operations, the operator expects economic returns. This can only be achieved by having sufficient production of crude oil. Crude oil production and its subsequent transportation is in-turn faced with difficulties, such as paraffin deposition which can be found in the formation, flow lines, and as well as in the storage tanks. Paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition during crude oil production and transportation has been a major problem faced by almost all oil industry all over the world today, the work over cost resulting from the removal of deposited paraffins amounts to several hundreds of millions of dollars, whereas, the lost revenue resulting from repeated interruptions of production amounts to billions of dollars annually. The major problem caused by paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition during crude oil production and transportation ranges from reduced production rate to no production. This work is conducted in two stages:- 1. The review of the theoretical background of paraffins. 2. Laboratory measurements using Rheometer to measure viscosity at various temperatures. It has been observed, that the viscosity increases as the temperature decreases, thus, temperature is considered to be the major parameter responsible for paraffin precipitation. Removal of deposited paraffin in OMV Romanian oil fields alone, is estimated to be necessary about ten times a year per well making up costs of over twenty five million Euros. In this work, the solution to paraffin inhibitor selection to prevent paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition in OMV oil fields in Romania and world wide has been provided. OMV, as an operator, has undertaken positive steps in minimizing and eliminating this costly production problem, hence, this research work has been able to select and recommend the two most efficient paraffin inhibitors that can be applied to any OMV oil field world wide to achieve at least ninety-five percent (95%) prevention of paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition

AB - After a huge amount of money has been spent on drilling operations, the operator expects economic returns. This can only be achieved by having sufficient production of crude oil. Crude oil production and its subsequent transportation is in-turn faced with difficulties, such as paraffin deposition which can be found in the formation, flow lines, and as well as in the storage tanks. Paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition during crude oil production and transportation has been a major problem faced by almost all oil industry all over the world today, the work over cost resulting from the removal of deposited paraffins amounts to several hundreds of millions of dollars, whereas, the lost revenue resulting from repeated interruptions of production amounts to billions of dollars annually. The major problem caused by paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition during crude oil production and transportation ranges from reduced production rate to no production. This work is conducted in two stages:- 1. The review of the theoretical background of paraffins. 2. Laboratory measurements using Rheometer to measure viscosity at various temperatures. It has been observed, that the viscosity increases as the temperature decreases, thus, temperature is considered to be the major parameter responsible for paraffin precipitation. Removal of deposited paraffin in OMV Romanian oil fields alone, is estimated to be necessary about ten times a year per well making up costs of over twenty five million Euros. In this work, the solution to paraffin inhibitor selection to prevent paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition in OMV oil fields in Romania and world wide has been provided. OMV, as an operator, has undertaken positive steps in minimizing and eliminating this costly production problem, hence, this research work has been able to select and recommend the two most efficient paraffin inhibitors that can be applied to any OMV oil field world wide to achieve at least ninety-five percent (95%) prevention of paraffin precipitation and the subsequent deposition

KW - Crude oil production Paraffin precipitation Paraffin deposition work over cost paraffin inhibitor crude oil transportation production rate

KW - Rohölproduktion Paraffinniederschlag Paraffinabsetzung Arbeit überkosten Paraffinhemmnis Rohöltransport Produktion Rate

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -