Abstract
The first step in calcium naphthenate deposition is supposed to be the formation of an interfacial gel by crosslinking between ARN tetrameric acid and Ca2+. Several aspects of the inhibition of the...
Highlights
ARN tetrameric acid is a complex compound present in petroleum crude oils at the part-per-million level.[1]
ARN is responsible for the formation of calcium naphthenate deposits that can result in oil production issues even leading to production shutdown in the worst cases.[2−4] These deposits are found in several geographical areas (North Sea, Western Africa, Brazil, China5−7) and contain 20−40 wt % of ARN.[8]
Due to the economic consequences, ARN and its deposition phenomenon have been the object of several studies since its discovery in 2004.9−11 Different aspects have been considered: ARN structures have been determined by modern NMR instrumentation by Lutnaes et al.[12−14] Different methods have been developed to detect and determine the concentration of ARN in crude oils and deposits.[8,15−17] The ARN selfassociation properties have been studied in bulk in both aqueous and oil phases.[18,19]
Summary
ARN tetrameric acid is a complex compound present in petroleum crude oils at the part-per-million level.[1]. When the pH is high enough, ARN initially present in the oil phase is ionized[31] and adsorbs at the oil-produced water interface.[11] This interface could, in principle, be in production tubing or surface facilities It reacts with Ca2+ ions to create cross-linking points between the adsorbed ARN molecules. This article is continuation of a previous work by Simon et al.[30] It involves the same equipment, i.e., a coaxial capillary device fitted to a profile analysis tensiometer, to study the formation of an interfacial gel under oil flowing conditions. This new work aims to determine the effect of asphaltenes on the formation of ARN−Ca2+ interfacial gels. Different possibilities have been considered: Asphaltenes have been injected either along with ARN, i.e., before and during the gel formation process, or after the interfacial gel has been formed
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