Abstract

HEREDIA, Francisco; VERA, Edwin  and  GUZMAN-BECKMANN, Liliana. Paraffin Deposit Decrease Evaluation Using Crystal Modifiers in Light Crude Oil. Rev Politéc. (Quito) [online]. 2018, vol.41, n.1, pp.29-38. ISSN 2477-8990.

Paraffin deposits on the oil transport tubing surface can produce losses due to partial or total blocking of the pipes. The possibility of preventing the scurf appearance is of interest to oil industry. This research evaluates the relationship between the thermic boundary layer temperature profile (border between a cold surface and the hot oil) and the amount of deposits using the cold finger method. As well, it evaluates four crystal modifyers (C.M.) efficiency and their effects on the paraffin deposits. Cold finger equipment was built at Escuela Politécnica Nacional University. And, the oil was obtained from Tecpetrol (an oil enterprise) which operates at Bloque 49 in the amazon region of Ecuador. This oil measured 31,2 °API and a cloud point of 28,7 °C. The experiments with the cold finger were obtained maintaining the sample oil at 60,0 °C and the cold surface either at 20,0 °C or 12,0 °C. The low temperature of the cold finger surface generated a region where the temperature was lower than the cloud point which stimulated the increase of the amount of paraffins deposited. The low temperature increased the initial deposit velocity from 4,1×10-3 g/cm2×h to 4,9×10-3 g/cm2×h. The most efficient method was C.M.2. at 3.000 ppm over 100 mL of oil reaching a deposit reduction efficiency more than 90,0 %.

Keywords : paraffin deposition; paraffin inhibitors; crystal modifier efficiency; cold finger.

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