Muhammad Iman El-Hassan Firdausi M.

P- 17782 1

WAX DEPOSITION PROBLEM

Wax Deposition is one of the major issues in crude oil and gas/condensate systems that can make
a pipeline unusable. While typically restricted to oils, gas/condensate discoveries in Southeast Asia
have shown waxing and/or gel formation.

The deposition on n-paraffin will usually occur along the pipe walls when the temperature of
produced fluids falls below the Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT) or cloud point, the point at
which the first wax crystals start to precipitate out of solution. Deposition rates can be affected by
several factors such as fluid viscosity, flow rates, gas-oil ratio, paraffin content and the heat transfer
coefficient.

Crystallization of waxes in crude oils might cause several problems such as high viscosity which
might lead to pressure loss, high yield stress for restarting flow and the deposition of wax crystals
on surfaces. Wax deposition on pipes are usually the cause of high flowline pressure drops, as a
result, these pressure losses leads to low flow rates that can cause conditions for wax deposition
more ideal. In extreme cases, pumping pressure can exceed the limits of the system and completely
block the pipeline thus stop the flow entirely. During restart operations, there might not be
sufficient pressure at the pipeline inlet to “break” the wax/gel and allow the pipe to flow. The
pipeline, at that point, may be rendered useless.
 Muhammad Iman El-Hassan Firdausi M.P- 17782 2

Solution: Prevention and Removal of Wax Deposition

Laboratory measurements are important in establishing predictive models to determine wax

depositiom rate. Interpretation of the data and comprehension of the testing procedures are critical.
Wax deposition can be prevented or removed by several methods. These methods are classified
into three categories: Thermal, Chemical, and Mechanical.

Wax precipitation is greatly impacted by temperature, thus thermal methods can be applied to
alleviate the problem. The prevention methods include steam and electrical-heat tracing of
flowlines, in relation with thermal insulation. To remove wax deposition thermally, hot oiling
method is one of the most commonly applied methods. Wax is melted and dissolved by hot oil,
which would allow it to be circulated from the well and the surface producing system. Hot oil is
usually pumped down the casing and up to the tubing, however, in flowing wells the oil may be
circulated reversely. In some cases, hot oiling can cause permeability damage if melted wax gets
into the formation.

To remove wax deposition chemically, Solvents may be used to treat deposition in production
strings and also may be applied to remediate formation damage. Hydrocarbon consisting primarily
of normal alkanes such as condensate and diesel oil can be used, provided the deposits have low
asphaltene content. Aromatic solvents such as toluene and xylene are good solvents for both waxes
and asphaltenes. Solvents are mostly used in large batch treatments. Surfactants are a general class
of chemicals that are most often used to clean vessels, tanks, pipes, machinery or any place where
wax may deposit. Surfactants or dispersants can also be used in combination with hot oil and water
treatments.

Mechanically, Scrapers and cutters are used extensively to remove wax deposits from tubing
because they can be economical and result in minimal formation damage. Scrapers may be attached
to wireline units, or they may be attached to sucker rods to remove wax as the well is pumped.
Deposits in surface pipelines can be removed by forcing soluble or insoluble pigs through the lines.
Soluble pigs may be composed of naphthalene or microcrystalline wax. Insoluble pigs are made
of plastic or hard rubber.