Measurement of Wax Appearance Temperature under Simulated Pipeline (Dynamic) Conditions

Abstract

Fluid flow in petroleum pipelines is a dynamic phenomenon. Therefore, measurement of the wax appearance temperature (WAT) under a simulated pipeline (dynamic) condition provides more valuable WAT data than the conventional procedures, which are performed under static (atmospheric) conditions. In this work, the WAT values of blends of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil and gas-to-liquid (GTL) products were determined under dynamic (flowing) conditions using an indigenously designed and developed flow loop. The WAT values of the samples were also determined under static conditions using the viscosity method and verified using the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D3117 method. The WAT values decreased with an increase in the line pressure and GTL content. The results reported in this paper are part of a major project on studying the operational challenges in GTL transportation through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).