Effect of Amla Fruit (Phyllanthus emblica) Extract in Flow Assurance of Indian Waxy Crude Oil

Abstract

SummaryWax present in crude oil starts to precipitate during flow through the pipeline below the wax appearance temperature (WAT). The phenomenon creates problems during transportation such as choking in pipeline, pumping pressure, etc. Pour-point depressants (PPDs), wax inhibitors, and other additives are used to remediate wax deposition problems. This paper focuses on the application of a natural extract from Amla fruit (Phyllanthus emblica) in Indian waxy crude oil (WCO) to improve flow behavior and wax deposition rate with varying properties such as temperature, time, and dosage. The result has been compared with commercial additives procured from Deva Drill Tech, India. The extraction procedure was conducted with Amla fruit skin (P. emblica) and with ethanol as a solvent. After the addition of 800-ppm Amla extract, the pour point was reduced by 9°C, and the viscosity was decreased by up to 98% at 50°C. This is due to the interaction and bond formation between synthesized PPD and wax molecules. As a result, less pumping power is required for efficient flow. The thixotropic area was reduced from 164 750 to 134 852 Pa·s after the addition of 800 ppm of synthesized additives. Viscoelastic behavior improved significantly after the addition of Amla extract and commercial additives. This will diminish considerably the energy required to restart the flow of WCO. Morphological changes confirm that more smaller and diffused wax particles were created from large wax agglomerates. The derived PPD is much more effective compared with a commercial one, is more environmentally friendly, and no special attention is required for the pretreatment of PPD-treated crude oil, which ultimately will reduce the project cost.