Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management During Oilfield Production
Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management During Oilfield Production
Management
Asphaltene during Oilfield
Depositional Production
Problems
Management during Oilfield Production
CHIBANE Redouane, Chef de Service Nouvelles Technologies,
August 2020
Abstract:
For the purpose of giving necessary information and available most used technics on asphaltene
depositional problems in oil field production, this work has been performed according to SONATRACH
experience and what it is used in wold wide fields. Four main steps to follow are presented: problem
identification, behavior characterization, prediction using simulation and intervention technics. After
analyzing statistics and economic data relative to asphaltene deposition during production, a decision is made
then to fight the phenomenon and reduce production loses. The choice of the intervention technics depends
on local economic evaluation, asphaltene behavior and deposition causes and even, availability of equipment
in the country.
Introduction
Asphaltene are the heaviest fraction of crude The search for an effective solution to the
oil. Even if they are often present in small asphaltene deposit formation problems requires
quantities (0.15 to 0.20% as in the case of an understanding of the aggregation/deposition
HASSI MESSAOUD field), they have a process and a better understanding of their
considerable influence on the physicochemical behavior in order to make an effective
properties of crude oil. If asphaltene aggregates operation programs on producing wells and
flocculate during the exploitation of a reservoir, prevents and / or reduces to the minimum
the solid particles contained in the crude oil production losses and operating expenses. So,
plug the pores of the reservoir rock and reduces for a good management strategy of asphaltene
permeability causing less well productivity. deposition problems, the first step is to predict
when and where the asphaltenes are going to
The Flocculation of asphaltenes can also take form a solid deposit, after being sure that the
place during the transport of crude oil which can nature of the deposit is asphaltenic and then we
result in fouling of equipment and clogging of can choose the most effective method.
pipes that causes pressure losses which reduce
the flow and causes additional maintenance The presented work covers all laboratory tools
costs. that allow us to predict the deposition of
asphaltenes and the available techniques of
intervention at wells.
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
If the particles are well stabilized in oil does not follow a linear trend represent the
where the quantity of resin or aromatic are biphasic region where the gas phase appears and
enough, the decrease in pressure would have no the pressure is below the bubble point of the
effect on the phenomenon. [3] CO2 oil mixture. The effect of temperature on
the deposition rate is inversely proportional to
Another effect that was observed in these the drop in temperature [7].
experiments is the temperature effect on
precipitation. The stability of the crude
increases with the temperature, since this causes
disorganization of particles arrangement,
resulting in a decrease in size aggregates. This
can be explained by the change of the crude
components molar volume which lead to the
change of the oil solubility [3].
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
j) Rich gas
.
The same asphaltene behavior is observed in
wet gas injection compared to dry gas injection
with small differences on boundaries of the
deposition envelope. The absorbance of the
mixture is less important in the case of wet gas
comparing to that in dry gas, this indicates that
particles size is not the same. The observation is
Figure 25. Asphaltene deposition area with the confirmed with the microscopic image and size
increasing in dry gas injection. particle distribution. [6].
(Algerian crude oil sample)
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
.
2.1.12. Infuence of the amount of Asphaltene in
the crude oil on Asphaltene stability
Figure 29. Effect of alkane solvent excess on
asphaltene precipitation The presence asphaltenes in crude oil does
not imply the existence of deposition problems,
some reservoirs of Central America and Middle
. East, including the Venezuelan heavy crude of
Boscán which contains over 17% of
asphaltenes, but doesn’t cause problems unlike
Hassi Messaoud Algerian crude that contains
only 0.1% of asphaltenes but causes a large
clogging problem in wells [5].
To determine the amount of asphaltene
contained in the crude oil, the Soxhlet
Figure 30. Effect of the carbon number of alkane equipment is used where a quantity of a
solvent on asphaltene precipitation flocculating agent solvent is added to the crude
10
.
Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
Where:
Ko = permeability, mD Figure 35. Reservoir damage due to asphaltene
q = flow rate, cm3/sec deposition in wellbore
L = length of core plug, cm
μ = Viscosity of oil, cP .
The deposition of asphaltenes in the
delta P = pressure drop across the core plug, psi reservoir rock can clog pores during fluid flow;
A = cross sectional area of core plug, cm2
it depends mainly on the flow regime. Three
pore clogging mechanisms are observed:
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
1- gradual Damage due to the 3- Blockage of the rock pores caused by the
homogeneous deposition of colloidal suspended particles and asphaltenes
particles on the entire surface of the aggregates which gradually accumulate
grains constituting the rock (adsorption)
around pore throats by the flow effect
blocking the passage of fluid. [10].
2.2.3.(after Leontaritis,
Effect ©1998 SPE;
of Asphaltene reprintedon
deposition by
permission of the
rock wettability Society of Petroleum Engineers).
dispersion and electrical properties. The rock, this is due to their surface area and their
alteration of the relative permeability and the cation power exchange. During the exchange of
maximum saturation has an important effect on cations between the asphaltene particles and
the drainage process. clays contained in the reservoir rock (k +, Ca 2+,
Morrow analyzed the results of drainage Mg2+, etc.), ionic bonds can be created causing
tests performed on water carrot and found that adsorption and desorption phenomena. [8]
the poor wettability of the rock was a constraint
to effective drainage of fluid and good recovery. 2.3. Laboratory tools for simulation of
[11] Asphaltene deposition in pipes
1.5. Dynamic Stability Loop
.
The presence of various minerals (especially
clay) and their abundance in the reservoir rock, Figure 42. Dynamic Stability Loop scheme
are the main causes of adsorption, precipitation
and chemisorption of asphaltenes on the grain
.
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
2.4. Asphaltene deposition modeling 2.4.2. Modeling of the reservoir damage due
to Asphaltene deposition
2.4.1.PVT Modeling of Asphaltene
precipitation Envelope Actualy, There is no a full numerical model
of flow simulation in porous media able to
Using the experimental data carried out in reproduce all the changes in parameter caused
the laboratory on a simulation program, by the deposition phenomenon. The available
pressures and temperature intervals where the commercial software can only model the change
risk of deposition is important can be identified in petrophysical parameters (φ, K) in discretized
for each well differently because the amount of flow equation. The change in relative
asphaltene differs from one well to another. permeability, Capillary pressure, viscosity,
Commercial simulation software available are: surface tension and wettability should be taken
PVTsim, dbrSOLIDS (slb) AsphWax, in consideration in the equation that governs the
ASPHRAC, PipeSim, PVTP (PTEX) and flow in porous media.
WINPRO. Even if we try to predict the
flocculation, no software can set the rate of
deposit on the walls of pipes, this is due to some
factors [1]:
.
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
A B
Figure 45. Result of modeling with commercial
software with time
a- Radial Permeability profile
b- Radial Porosity profile Figure 47. Modeling of amount of asphaltene deposit in
the tubing for different oil rate
(Kupal Field)
2.4.3. Modeling of the asphaltene damage in
the tubing
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
separation of light fractions and the formation of 3.2. At the wellbore level
gas phase. An amount of asphaltene flocculated
can be re dissolved in oil before large 3.2.1. Production parameter adjustment
aggregates form. [13] Adjusting production conditions at the
choke can change the hydrodynamic flow
A history of intervention of a well in the conditions and depth where deposit forms. This
Marrat area west of Kuwait (Alkafeef et al prevents the formation of deposits in
2005), showed that the upper part of the depth perforations and deep tubing depth which makes
interval was between the flocculation threshold the cleaning of bore hole very difficult. [14]
and bubble point.
3.2.2. Injection of solvent to clean the
perforations and damaged area in the
wellbore
Unlike paraffins, asphaltenes are soluble in
aromatic solvents such as benzene, toluene and
xylene, even at low temperatures. There is a
wide range of commercial products which
solubilize asphaltenes and are widely used for
cleaning the well by pumping from the surface,
by squeeze operation or using the coiled tubing
[1].
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
.
3.3.3. Dual completion
. .
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
Conclusion
Finding a rigorous universal solution to the solution for asphaltene deposition problems.
asphaltene deposition problem is becoming The solution must be Easy to handle with no
necessary regarding to production loses which technical complication and low cost.
can be important in some countries like Algeria.
Problem identification, laboratory tools for
A lot of work has been performed in the
behavior characterization and simulation are the
research direction without having a production keys for a good strategy choose. it appears that
vision at reservoir level. The results of mostly any modeling effort that describes the phase
all studies can’t be interesting for a reservoir behavior of asphaltenes in oil should take into
management team. account the lack of positive information on the
structure of asphaltenes in the original oil and
Laboratory test results given by service their molecular characteristics.
companies can’t help enough to manage the
problem at production point of view. Statistical All available laboratory tests that can be
and Economical approaches are necessary and performed on asphaltene were described
are the new way of evaluation the efficiency of previously. A lot of books and papers about the
any available technic. theory of asphaltene are available but more is
needed to reach to a universal solution.
Researches on statistical efficiency direction are
the right way to find a rigorous universal
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Asphaltene Depositional Problems Management during Oilfield Production
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