Oil field service & oil well services

How ParaSolve Works

Paraffin, asphaltene, and bitumen are heavy organics contained in crude oil products. These components are the primary cause of oil flow restrictions or blockages in oil pumping. Paraffin causes deposition due to the lowering of crude oil temperatures, changes in pressure, and other factors resulting in the formation of crystalline solids [Afanas'ev, et al, 1993]. These heavy solids stick to the walls of all equipment coming in contact with the crude oil including tubulars, flow lines, pumps, and tanks. As the paraffin builds up, arterial blockage occurs resulting in increased friction, greatly reduced oil flow, and/or complete restriction. The increased friction from this build-up can also cause further problems including equipment failure and breakdown. Paraffin removal as part of a scheduled maintenance program can greatly increase yields and reduce costs.

In the past, various costly and time consuming methods of paraffin removal have been used including scraping (where production must cease and the cap be removed from the oil well), dangerous chemicals (often requiring extensive safety procedures, shut down, and flushing after use), and hot oil with limited success. The problem with most methods of paraffin removal is not only the cost, but that they only soften or dissolve the paraffin enough to move it further down the line and have it precipitate elsewhere.

ParaSolve solvent, is a proprietary mixture of bio-based detergents, surfactants, and organic solvents formulated specifically for the purpose of breaking down these heavy deposits while allowing pump operations to continue. ParaSolve's revolutionary new formula is is both oil soluble and water dispersible. ParaSolve solvent effectively liquefies the paraffin and other heavy deposits to the point where they can no longer precipitate out again and can be sent down the stream and sold providing in many cases a higher BTU value than much of the crude oil product itself. ParaSolve solvent can be used wherever paraffin build-up occurs including downhole, flowlines, and tanks.

The following experiment demonstrates paraffin removal using ParaSolve solvent demonstrating both the procedure and it's effectiveness.

Properties of Paraffin

Paraffin was was first identified by Carl Reichenbachin 1830. It refers to alkane hydrocarbons with the formula C_nH_2n+2. The solid forms of paraffin (paraffin wax), are from the heaviest molecules (C₂₀H₄₂ to C₄₀H₈₂).

 Alternate names: petroleum wax
                  hydrocarbon wax
   Melting point: 50°C-57°C
     Flash point: 199°C
Specific gravity: 0.72
         Density: 0.9 g/cm3

 

Paraffin Sample

Our experiment starts with a sample of paraffin taken directly from an Alberta oil well. This sample is typical of paraffin deposits that build-up in oil production equipment causing flow restrictions and equipment failure.

Solvent Added

ParaSolve's solution is now added to the container where it immediately starts to dissolve the Paraffin.

In the field, the product is heated and injected into the annulus where it would reach the restriction and flow up the tubing. The amount of solvent used would depend on the depth of the well and the extent of the build-up. For this experiment, enough solvent was added to make it quite obvious that the Paraffin has been completely liquified.

Mixture Circulated

At this point the container is rocked back and forth several times until the paraffin has been completely dissolved into the solvent.

In the field this is done by operating the pump to agitate the solvent.

 

Mixture Heated

After heating the mixture to 70° for about 5 minutes, the solution becomes transparent indicating that the paraffin has been completely broken down and liquefied.

In the field, the solution is heated before being injected into the well utilizing our specialized equipment so we may control the tempurature at a range of 60C to 120C. This allows us to be able to be cool enough to work in fiberglass flow lines, and also adjustbale to be hot enough to adress the toughest of restrictions.

Well Cleaned

As seen in the last photo, the paraffin is molecularly re-structured, resulting in an oil soluble and water dispersible product that mixes in with the oil stream and will not precipitate out in the flow line.

REFERENCES

• Katz, D. H. and Beu, K. E., "Nature of asphaltic substances," Ind. Eng. Chem. 37 (1945), pages 195-200.
• Mansoori, G. A., "Remediation of heavy organic deposits in petroleum production," presented at IBC's 1998 Controlling Hydrates, Waxes and Asphaltenes Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Thomas J. Glover, "POCKET REF," Second Edition (1996)