Asphaltene Deposits and Their Fighting

When extracting oil, many complications from asphaltene deposits arise in the communications and equipment; the accumulation of asphaltene causes a decrease in well production and reduces its turnaround time.

Scaling is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons comprising paraffins, ABS resinous compounds (sulfur + oxygen = nitrogen), asphaltenes, resins silicagel, blotches of oil and water molecules. Determination of the component composition of the asphaltene deposit is quite important for the selection of chemicals to optimize measures to combat them.

The intensity of the precipitation of asphaltene particles depends on several factors:

• Reduction of the pressure on the bottom-hole zone and the imbalance of hydrodynamic equilibrium of the system;
• Decreasing of the temperature in the reservoir;
• oscillations of the speed of the particles constituting gas-liquid mixture;
• the initial hydrocarbon composition of the mixture;
• roughness of the pipelines’ surface.

Methods of fighting with asphaltene deposits are divided into preventive actions and removal of already deposited substances.

Методы борьбы с АСПО подразделяются на профилактические мероприятия, препятствующие осаждению, и удаление уже отложившихся веществ.