Method for removal of paraffin from producing oil wells
A method is described for removing paraffin from a producing oil well comprising the steps of: a. preparing a mixture of a paraffin-dispersing effective amount of an alkyl aralkyl polyoxyalkylene phosphate ester surfactant in the free acid form, or in the form of the alkali metal, amine, or ammonium salt; a mutual solvent composed of a blend of an alcohol selected from the group consisting of aliphatic alcohols, glycols, polyglycols and glycol esters and mixtures thereof and an aromatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, and xylene, and water and heating the mixture to a temperature of from about 30/sup 0/ to 40/sup 0/F higher than the melting point of the paraffin to be removed to form a micelle wherein the micelle mixture contains from about 8 to 35 weight percent of the phosphate ester surfactant, from about 65 to 95 weight percent of the mutual solvent, and from about 70 to 90 weight percent of water; b. contacting the micelle mixture with the interior of the oil well for a period of time sufficient to disperse paraffin within the well into the mixture; and c. removing the mixture and the paraffin dispersed therein from the interior of the well.
- Assignee:
- GAF Corp., Wayne, NJ
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4813482
- OSTI ID:
- 6081871
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALCOHOLS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKANES
ALKYL RADICALS
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AMINES
AMMONIUM CHLORIDES
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM HALIDES
AROMATICS
BENZENE
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DEWAXING
ESTERS
FLUIDS
GLYCOLS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARAFFIN
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
RADICALS
REMOVAL
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENTS
WATER
WAXES
WELL SERVICING
WELLS
WORKING FLUIDS
XYLENES