Method and apparatus for removing oil well paraffin

Patent · Tue Sep 03 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5960942

McManus, J W; Backus, J; Winckler, E

A method of removing paraffin build up from an oil well which includes determining the location of a cooler portion of the oil well at which paraffin build up occurs, introducing an inductance heating element down into the annular space between the oil well tubing and the oil well casing, positioning the inductance heating element in the vicinity of the cooler portion and inductance heating the inside surface of the oil well tube to at least the temperature about that of the melting point of paraffin. Preferably, the inside surface of the tube is heated on the down stroke of the oil well sucker rod and at the start of the sucker rod up stroke in order to strip the paraffin from the tubing. The outside surface of the sucker rod is heated on its up stroke and the inductance heater has multiple bands of coil to heat the same general area of the sucker rod as it travels.

• Assignee: IFI; EDB-86-085077
• Patent Number(s): US 4538682
• OSTI ID: 5960942
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 8 Sep 1983; Other Information: PAT-APPL-530366
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
HEATERS
DESIGN
OIL WELLS
DEWAXING
PARAFFIN
REMOVAL
DESCALING
INDUCTION
MELTING
ROD PUMPS
SCALE CONTROL
ALKANES
CONTROL
HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PUMPS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SURFACE FINISHING
WAXES
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production