Practical Incentives for Wax Deposition Modeling
A general as well as specific overview of various relevant properties, practices and prospects that actually encourage successful modeling of wax (paraffin) deposition in hydrocarbon systems is presented.
This paper expresses the importance of waxy petroleum (crude oil and gas condensate) characterization as well as its rheological, transport and thermodynamic properties; the interplay of petroleum liquid characteristics, fluid properties, and the fundamental factors and mechanisms governing wax precipitation and deposition in hydrocarbon systems is well furnished. The need for proper and adequate understanding of the relevant precipitation and deposition mechanisms, and waxing tendencies of waxy petroleum systems has been considered.
The application of simulation studies, their possible short-comings as well as a solution pathway for wax deposition modeling are put forward in this work. Identification and measurement techniques, prediction methods and correlation types, and how to proceed with paraffin deposition rate determination are all addressed. This paper proposes wax deposition potential prediction as a necessary prerequisite and fundamental key to achieving effective wax deposition modeling and control in hydrocarbon systems.
Finally, the paper looks into conventional wax deposition control methods and the development of optimal control techniques and applications. The usefulness of (waxy) petroleum production history/heuristics and the consideration of intelligent systems in wax deposition modeling for the development of desired optimal control techniques and applications have also been considered.