A novel experimental study on inhibition of asphaltene deposition

Abstract

Asphaltene as problematic fraction of crude oil is known that is separated from crude oil because of variations in temperature, pressure, and compositions. The deposition of asphaltene causes many problems including tubing blockage and rock wettability alteration, therefore, the study of asphaltene deposition has been highlighted. In the present study, the impacts of various effective parameters and inhibitors on asphaltene deposition rate have been studied. The effect of flow rate and ratio of precipitant to crude oil have been investigated. The SDS, triton x-100, and salicylic acid abilities in reduction of asphaltene deposition have been evaluated by using capillary setup. The experiments show that SDS has the better performance than salicylic acid and triton x-100. Next, the impact of concentration of SDS on rate of deposition has been studied. The obtained results show that increment in concentration of SDS decreases the rate of asphaltene deposition. The current study can be used as a helpful tool for petroleum engineers dealing with asphaltene deposition problems.