Investigation of rheological properties of oil during the formation of wax deposits

Abstract

The relevance of research lies in the need to assess the change in rheological properties of oil in the process of wax deposits formation. The existing correlation dependences make it possible to determine the viscosity of the oil at a known temperature and density, however, their application is possible only for oils of a specific region and a constant component composition. However, in the process of oil production at many fields, including in the Perm Krai, the problem of the formation of wax deposits arises, which directly affects the composition of the fluid. At the laboratory stand «Wax Flow Loop» a number of laboratory studies have been carried out in various thermal conditions. According to research data, when the oil temperature is above 25 °C during the formation of deposits, the rheological properties of oil improve. When the oil temperature is below 20 °C, the formation of deposits occurs in the volume of oil and the rheological properties deteriorate. The obtained experimental results allow us to consider the dynamics of changes in the rheological properties of oil in the process of the formation of wax deposits. The use of laboratory research data will make it possible to predict the change in the rheological properties of fluids during the formation of wax deposits under various conditions, as well as to increase the accuracy of modeling the process of production of the target fluid.