Wax Control

Wax control
Narve Aske, Leading advisor, Multiphase Fluid Control
Classification: Internal
2011-03-08
Outline
Flow Assurance in Statoil What is wax and what problems may it cause? How to control wax deposition Case example: How to not control wax deposition
2011-03-08
Flow Assurance
Main deliverables/competence:
Thermohydralic multiphase analysis System design Hydrate- and wax control philosophies Slug control Operational support Multiphase metering
Hydrate control
Process Separator Slug catcher Chemical Injection Package Fluid properties Rheology
Emulsion control
Corrosion control
Scale control
Asphaltene control
Wax control
Multiphase equipment: Wellbore hydraulics Transient pipeline thermohydraulics Multiphase meter Multiphase pump
Flow assurance = safe, uninterrupted and simultaneous transport of gas, oil and water from reservoirs to processing facilities.
2011-03-08
Fluid control the problems

Gas hydrates
Asphaltenes
Wax
Kristin-NJ/DR Wye - wax deposition and temperature profile after 600 h
0.005
70 60 50
Temperature [C]
Wax deposition Fluid temperature
Wax deposition [m]
0.004 0.003
40 30 20
0.002 0.001
10
0 0 20 40 60 80 100
0 Pipeline length [km]
2011-03-08
Multiphase fluid control

Reservoir Well Pipelines Process
PVT / fluid composition Asphaltenes Scale Rheology Hydrates Wax Emulsions Naphtenates Foam
2011-03-08
Accumulated length of multiphase flow lines [km]
1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1970

Classification: Internal 2011-03-08
1980
1990
2000
2010
The future .
Arctic / harsh environment
Longer distance Deeper water
More difficult fluids
Increased field complexity
2011-03-08
Outline
2011-03-08
What is wax?
Wax consistency range
Soft wax
Hard wax
2011-03-08
n-alkane
What is wax?
Natural constituents of crude oils
and most gas condensates
wax crystal
Typical wax content 1-15 wt% Mostly long chain n-alkanes Solubility strongly dependent on
temperature
Operational consequences: Gelling Deposition
2011-03-08
Wax-forming components in crude oils

C10+
Mainly n-alkanes
Non-wax
C7 C8 C9
Wax
Lab. analysis
Pseudo-components
2011-03-08
Wax precipitation curve
2011-03-08
Wax deposition in the well or pipeline? Where, how much and how fast? Wax deposition in oil coolers topside Requires frequent cleaning and/or wax inhibitor Wax accumulation in storage tanks Gravity settling Gelling in flowlines, storage tankes etc. Pressure transducer malfunction etc.
Wax concerns
Key parameters:
Wax appearance temperature (WAT) Wax content
2011-03-08
What happens in the pipeline?

7 6 wax thickness (mm) 5 4 3 15 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Length (km)
Wax after 1 day
40
Wax after 7 days
35 30 Temperature (C)
Wax after 2 days
25 20
Temperature
10 5
0 100 110 120
2011-03-08
Wax deposition challenges
Stuck pigs HSE Inspection tools Plugged pipelines
2011-03-08
Outline
2011-03-08
Methods for controlling wax deposition

Pipeline insulation External insulation coating on single pipes Pipe-in-pipe systems Pigging Chemicals Inhibitors Dispersants Dissolvers Heat Bundles Electric heating Hot oil flushing
2011-03-08
Wax control strategies

1. Single phase oil/condensate pipelines:
Wax control normally by regular pigging

O
F F F F F F F F F F F F H H
F F F F F F F F F F F F F H H
Si
O O
Si
O O
Si
O O
Si
O O
Si
O O
2. Medium length multiphase oil and gas condensate pipelines:

Normally insulated (or heated) Prevents wax deposition and hydrate formation
SiO2
3. Long-distance multiphase pipelines:
a) Low-wax gas condensates (Snhvit): Wax deposition will normally not be an issue b) Oils and waxy gas condensates: No general, proven way to control wax deposition Wax-repellent surface coatings?
2011-03-08
Outline
2011-03-08
Heimdal Brae condensate export pipeline

Huldra
Vale Vale Skirne
Heimdal
Statpipe Brae
2011-03-08
2002: Vale on stream 2003: Pressure increase 2004: Pigging program August: 6 pig stuck 32 m3 wax pumped back
200 190 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 0 50 100 150 200 250 Time (days) 300 350
Short history 2002 2008
Heimdal Export Pressure (bara)
400
2011-03-08
Short history 2002 2008

2005: Chemical wax removal program 2006: Wax deposition layer increased (!)
New pigging program launched, +50
pigs
2007: New stuck pig incident 2008: New chemical wax removal
project
Comprehensive screening of wax

dissolvers
2011-03-08
Heimdal Brae wax characteristics
Heimdal Brae wax consists mainly of high molecular weight paraffins that are hard to
dissolve.
Supported by indications of high melting temperature (60 C +). Wax removal must be based on a combination of dissolution and break-down of the
wax deposit.
Classification: Internal 2011-03-08
Fill & soak wax removal operation

Chemical Gel Sea water Hydrocarbon
Brae
Heimdal
2011-03-08
Fill and soak operation August 2008

~1000 m3 of wax dissolver injected in the Heimdal Brae pipeline the 19th to 20th August Left to soak for about one week. Production restarted and chemical flushed downstream into
FPS
Only minor changes to pressure drop and wax content after restart 11th September 2008: STUCK PIG again
2011-03-08
Summary and lessons learned

The Heimdal Brae pipeline is currently faced with a severe wax
related problem
~500 m3 wax deposited over 80 km! Several projects/initiatives/methods have been tried so far. No major
improvement despite the large efforts.
No easy solution once wax deposition is out of control Problem would not have occurred if regular pigging of the pipeline
had been implemented when the Vale field was started.
Lessons learned? Implementation of a proper wax control strategy from day one is
essential for all fields producing waxy fluids!
2011-03-08
Thank you
2011-03-08

Wax Control

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Wax Control

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Wax control

Narve Aske, Leading advisor, Multiphase Fluid Control

Fluid control the problems

Wax deposition [m]

0 Pipeline length [km]

Multiphase fluid control

Accumulated length of multiphase flow lines [km]

1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1970

Longer distance Deeper water

More difficult fluids

Increased field complexity

Wax consistency range

Operational consequences: Gelling Deposition

Wax-forming components in crude oils

Wax precipitation curve

Wax appearance temperature (WAT) Wax content

What happens in the pipeline?

Wax after 7 days

Wax after 2 days

0 100 110 120

Wax deposition challenges

Stuck pigs HSE Inspection tools Plugged pipelines

Methods for controlling wax deposition

Wax control strategies

Wax control normally by regular pigging

2. Medium length multiphase oil and gas condensate pipelines:

3. Long-distance multiphase pipelines:

Heimdal Brae condensate export pipeline

Vale Vale Skirne

Short history 2002 2008

Heimdal Export Pressure (bara)

Short history 2002 2008

Comprehensive screening of wax

Heimdal Brae wax characteristics

Fill & soak wax removal operation

Fill and soak operation August 2008

Summary and lessons learned

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