Abstract
In keeping with the world trends, ONGC Assam Asset is gradually embracing green chemistry in its chemical treatments and processes. Flowing well fluids from reservoir to group gathering stations (GGS) and their transportation to refineries through pipelines is a major challenge faced by upstream oil industries. Crudes of Assam Asset with high wax and asphaltene contents are very viscous in nature and cause serious flow problems, particularly during winters and rainy season when the surface temperature in Assam drops significantly creating flow of already waxy crude more difficult within the well as well as surface flow lines. Transportation of crude oil near or below its pour point requires a deep understanding of crude chemistry, its rheological properties and its operating conditions. Out of all the methods available for pumping waxy crudes, use of pour point depressants (PPD) is preferred economically. This work describes identification of suitable low temperature dosed PPD/liquid flow improvers (LFI) and field trial of the selected additives for mitigation of flow problems in the Lakwa field of ONGC and the Assam Asset at large. Rheological properties of crude with PPDs were studied at different temperatures considering well bore conditions and dosing at different depths. Additives such as Cristol SGT 12 and Cristol LFI 12 were found to be effective. The polymer additives are known to depress the pour point of crudes by modification of the wax crystal habit by providing different nucleation sites for the precipitation of wax.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the ED-Asset Manager, ONGC Assam Asset, Nazira, India, for his encouragement for taking up the pilot studies on the exploratory well Safrai# 10 and for his valuable advices in the course of the work. Thanks are due to Mr S. Sinha, GM, R & D Department, Oil India Ltd., Duliajan, Assam, and his team for carrying out the useful studies on Safrai# 10 crude.
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Das, P.P., Paul, T.K., Gogoi, S., Arifi, F. (2021). Macromolecular Characterization of Petroleum Crude for Deeper Insights into Acute Flow Problems: A Case Study from Lakwa Oil Field, Assam, India. In: Bhui, U.K. (eds) Macromolecular Characterization of Hydrocarbons for Sustainable Future. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6133-1_9
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