Measurement of Asphaltene Precipitation Onset

Abstract

Measurement of asphaltene precipitation onset is important to detect the precipitation of asphaltene during production, transport and refining of petroleum fluids that can result in production losses and large increases in maintenance costs. A large quantity of methods can help determine the onset of asphaltene precipitation, including gravimetric analysis, visual observation, electromagnetic beam absorbance and physical properties measurement such as viscosity, particle size analysis, electrical conductivity, light transmission, acoustic techniques and heat transfer analysis. Numerous apparatuses have also been applied to study the onset of asphaltene precipitation based on the methods mentioned above. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview about the asphaltene precipitation by addressing recent patents and scholarly articles on the subject of the onset measurement. Keywords: Asphaltene precipitation, electromagnetic beam absorbance, gravimetric analysis, onset measurement, physical properties measurement, visual observation.