INFLUENCE OF PARAFFIN MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION ON CRUDE OIL WAX CRYSTALLIZATION

摘要

This work was carried out to improve the understanding of crude oil paraffin crystallization, in order to design better control and removal treatments, adequate for each crude oil with defined composition and physicochemical properties. Paraffin deposition is one of the most serious problems faced in oil production operations. Changes in physicochemical equilibrium conditions, due to decrease in temperature below melting points, cause crystallization and losses in components' solubility. The effect of paraffinic component molecular weight distribution on crude oil wax crystallization propensity was studied. Several highly paraffinic crude oils from Eastern Venezuela were characterized in terms of hydrocarbon family distribution, by means of high temperature gas chromatography and wax content. Paraffin chain length was correlated with pour and cloud point values. Additionally, different paraffinic crude oils were blended in order to evaluate the effect on wax crystallization. Changes of these blend properties afforded a synergistic effect, when compared with their individual components.