Anyone in the oil extraction industry understands how paraffin wax and asphaltene build-up can have some serious crippling effects on the production of a well. The term paraffin is used to refer to waxy build-up of organic material. Most crude oils usually contain paraffin solution as one of the components. When this solution cools down, it crystalizes and clumps together. These clumped crystals then accumulate on production equipment, rendering downhole paraffin removal important.
An excess of 85 percent of the oil wells are affected by solidified paraffin deposits. They eventually stop the oil flow by totally clogging the tubing and flow lines if they are neglected for a long time without being treated. Clogging additionally extends to the well itself as well as pipes apart from the flow lines and tubing. This happens slowly but becomes imminent after a long time.
Therefore, before starting an oil extraction process, one should plan on how to deal with the issue of wax build-up. Although the issue could cause complete blockage to operations, it is relatively easy to remove the wax build-up. Various techniques of wax build-up removal have been developed over the years. Thermal treatment, scrapping, mechanical methods, coiled tubing, chemicals, hot oiling, and hot water are examples of these methods.
There are incidences where a number of strategies may be used together to eliminate the wax issue. Forecasting the solidification of wax, possible points of occurrence, and when total blockage will take place is now possible, thanks to technological advancements. Among the methods of predicting is the gas chromatography.
Before choosing a method to use to get rid of a wax problem, it is usually important to study the deposit to determine its nature. Whereas most organic deposits in oil extraction operations are made of wax or paraffins, these are not the only components in the deposits. Deposits usually contain a combination of asphaltenes and paraffins. Besides paraffins and asphaltenes, other components found in the deposits include scale, salt crystals, gums, silt, sand, resins, and clay.
This means that supposing one chooses to use chemicals in removing the deposits, the selected chemical should be capable of removing more than paraffin alone. Nowadays, many chemicals that are used in the process often need to be used alongside heat for them to work properly. The amount of heat required is determined by the kind of chemical in use.
Additional costs will be incurred in the form of additional labor, equipment and energy to be used. Using a chemical solvent that can work with efficiency under low temperatures can help reduce the expenses. Inventions have given rise to a number of solvents that can be put to use under low temperature without compromising their levels of effectiveness.
Finally, it is vital for one to consider their safety as well as that of the environment. Mostly, caustic reagents are the ones that are used in chemical treatments. The reagents are often hazardous and very harsh to both the workers and the equipment used. Both human health and the environment are at risk from the toxic chemicals that are contained in caustic chemical treatments.
An excess of 85 percent of the oil wells are affected by solidified paraffin deposits. They eventually stop the oil flow by totally clogging the tubing and flow lines if they are neglected for a long time without being treated. Clogging additionally extends to the well itself as well as pipes apart from the flow lines and tubing. This happens slowly but becomes imminent after a long time.
Therefore, before starting an oil extraction process, one should plan on how to deal with the issue of wax build-up. Although the issue could cause complete blockage to operations, it is relatively easy to remove the wax build-up. Various techniques of wax build-up removal have been developed over the years. Thermal treatment, scrapping, mechanical methods, coiled tubing, chemicals, hot oiling, and hot water are examples of these methods.
There are incidences where a number of strategies may be used together to eliminate the wax issue. Forecasting the solidification of wax, possible points of occurrence, and when total blockage will take place is now possible, thanks to technological advancements. Among the methods of predicting is the gas chromatography.
Before choosing a method to use to get rid of a wax problem, it is usually important to study the deposit to determine its nature. Whereas most organic deposits in oil extraction operations are made of wax or paraffins, these are not the only components in the deposits. Deposits usually contain a combination of asphaltenes and paraffins. Besides paraffins and asphaltenes, other components found in the deposits include scale, salt crystals, gums, silt, sand, resins, and clay.
This means that supposing one chooses to use chemicals in removing the deposits, the selected chemical should be capable of removing more than paraffin alone. Nowadays, many chemicals that are used in the process often need to be used alongside heat for them to work properly. The amount of heat required is determined by the kind of chemical in use.
Additional costs will be incurred in the form of additional labor, equipment and energy to be used. Using a chemical solvent that can work with efficiency under low temperatures can help reduce the expenses. Inventions have given rise to a number of solvents that can be put to use under low temperature without compromising their levels of effectiveness.
Finally, it is vital for one to consider their safety as well as that of the environment. Mostly, caustic reagents are the ones that are used in chemical treatments. The reagents are often hazardous and very harsh to both the workers and the equipment used. Both human health and the environment are at risk from the toxic chemicals that are contained in caustic chemical treatments.
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