Control paraffin with well bore insulating gelled fluids

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Petroleum Engineer International; (United States)

OSTI ID:6933991

Yousif, M H; Young, D B ^[1]; Black, J W

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1. IITRI, Houston, TX (United States)

A variety of techniques are used to treat paraffin, including scrapping, pigging, heating, insulating and solvent usage. Well bore insulating fluids control paraffin deposition in offshore wells by producing a high cloud point oil from a relatively cold reservoir. Produced hydrocarbons exhibit large pressure and temperature changes from the formation to the surface facilities. This changes their phase behavior and consequently their carrying capacity of the dissolved paraffins. Paraffins can drop out in the producing formation, subsurface pumps, tubing, flowline, separators and storage tanks. Paraffins can be low molecular weight n-alkanes (C20-C40) or high molecular weight iso-alkanes and cyclic alkanes. Heat convection through the annulus is the main mechanism by which produced fluids lose heat to surrounding formations. Consequently, selecting a well bore insulating fluid should not be based entirely on thermal conductivity of the fluid. Although their thermal conductivity is only 2.5% that of water, fluids like mineral oil or diesel could transfer as much heat as water under the same temperature gradient. Testing shows that the viscosity of the annular fluid is the key parameter that needs to be increased to minimize annular convective heat loses.

• OSTI ID: 6933991
• Journal Information: Petroleum Engineer International; (United States), Vol. 66:10; ISSN 0164-8322
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
FORMATION DAMAGE
MITIGATION
NATURAL GAS WELLS
DEWAXING
OIL WELLS
HEAT LOSSES
OFFSHORE SITES
PARAFFIN
SCRAPERS
WELL SERVICING
ALKANES
ENERGY LOSSES
EQUIPMENT
HYDROCARBONS
LOSSES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
WAXES
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
030300 - Natural Gas- Drilling
Production
& Processing