Abstract
An Iranian heavy oil reservoir recently encountered challenges in oil production rate, and further investigation has proven that asphaltene precipitation was the root cause of this problem. In addition, CO2 gas injection could be an appropriate remedy to enhance the production of heavy crudes. In this study, high pressure-high temperature asphaltene precipitation experiments were performed at different temperatures and pressures to investigate the asphaltene phase behavior during the natural depletion process and CO2 gas injection. Compositional modeling of experimental data predicted onset points at different temperatures which determine the zone of maximum probability of asphaltene precipitation for the studied heavy oil reservoir. Also, the effect of CO2 gas injection was investigated as a function of CO2 concentration and pressure. It was found that a CO2-oil ratio of 40% is the optimum for limiting precipitation to have the least formation damage and surface instrument contamination.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
K. Akbarzadeh, A. Hammami, A. Kharrat and A. Zhang, Oilfield Review, 19, 22 (2007).
S. H. Rashid, Al-Maamari and J. S. Buckley, Improved Oil Recovery Symposium held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, SPE 59292 (2000).
L. Goual and A. Firoozabadi, AIChE J., 48, 2646 (2002).
J. Wu, J.M. Prausnitz and A. Firoozabadi, AIChE J., 44, 1188 (1998).
R.K. Srivastava, S.S. Huang, S.B. Dyer and F.M. Mourits, JCPT, 34, 31 (1995).
J.X. Wang, Predicting Asphaltene Flocculation in Crude Oils, PhD Thesis, NMIMT, Socorro (2000).
A.Y. Zekri, S. A. Shedid and H. Alkashef, SPE Permion Basis Oil and Gas Recovery Conference, Midland, TX, SPE 70050 (2001).
H. Nakhli, A. Alizadeh, M. S. Moqadam, S. Afshari, R. Kharrat and M. H. Ghazanfari, JPSE, 78, 384 (2011).
B. S. Soulgani and D. Rashtchian, Iran. J. Chem. Eng., 29, 131 (2010).
I.A. Wiehe, Preprints of AIChE international conference on petroleum phase behavior and fouling, Third International Symposium on the Thermodynamics of Asphaltenes and Heavy Oils (1999).
M. Hassanvand, B. Shahsavani and A. Anooshe, J. Petroleum Tech. and Alternative Fuels, 3, 8 (2012).
A. Alizadeh, H. Nakhli, R. Kharrat and M. H. Ghazanfari, JPST, 29, 1054 (2011).
A. Emadi, M. Sohrabi, M. Jamiolahmady, S. Ireland and G. Robertson, Chem. Eng. Res. Design, 89, 1783 (2011).
T. Holt, E. Lindeberg and D. Wessel-Berg, Energy Procedia, 1, 4159 (2009).
A. Hirschberg, L.N.J. deJong, B. A. Schipper and J. G. Meijer, SPE J., 24, 283 (1984).
G. Soave, Chem. Eng. Sci., 27, 1197 (1972).
S. Kawanaka, S. J. Park and G. A. Mansoori, SPE Res. Eng., 6, 185 (1991).
R. Cimino, S. Correra, P. A. Sacomani and C. Carniani, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, San Antonio, Texas, USA, SPE 28993 (1995).
F.B. Thomas, D.B. Bennion, D.W. Bennion and B. E. Hunter, JCPT, 31, 22 (1992).
L. X. Nghiem, M. S. Hassam, R. Nutakki and A. E. D. George, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, USA, SPE 26642 (1993).
L. X. Nghiem and D. A. Coombe, SPE J., 2, 170 (1997).
L.X. Nghiem, D.A. Coombe and S.M. Farouq Ali, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, USA, SPE 48996 (1998).
K. J. Leontaritis and G. A. Mansoori, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, San Antonio, Texas, USA, SPE 16258 (1987).
J. L. Du and D. Zhang, JPST, 22, 1023 (2004).
R. B. de Boer, K. Leerlooyer, M. R. P. Eigner and A.R.D. Van Bergen, SPE Prod. Facilities J., 10, 55 (1995).
Standard Test Method for Separation of Asphalt into Four Fractions, ASTM D4124-09 (2009).
A.B. Stankiewicz, M.D. Flannery, N.A. Fuex, G. Broze, J.L. Couch, S. T. Dubey, S.D. Iyer, J. Ratulowski and J. T. Westerich, AIChE Spring National Meeting, New Orleans, 47, 410 (2002).
A. K. M. Jamaluddin, J. Creek and C. S. Kabir, SPE Asia Pacific Improved Oil Recovery Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, SPE 72154 (2001).
Standard Test Method for Determination of Asphaltenes (Heptane Insolubles) in Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products, ASTM D6560-00, 143.1 (2000).
S. Peramanu, P. F. Clarke and B. Pruden, JPSE, 23, 133 (1999).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bahrami, P., Kharrat, R., Mahdavi, S. et al. Asphaltene laboratory assessment of a heavy onshore reservoir during pressure, temperature and composition variations to predict asphaltene onset pressure. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 32, 316–322 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-014-0245-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-014-0245-6