THE QUALITY OF CRUDE OIL FROM THE MUANDA FIELD AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON THE INSTALLATIONS

Abstract

"The study on the quality of the crude oil of the Muanda field and its consequences on the installations, was carried out within the framework of our scientific research of study of Advanced Diploma (DEA). The objective of this study was to determine upstream the physical properties and composition of the Muanda field crude oil, in order to determine the conditions of asphaltene deposits in the tubing and other installations. To achieve this, the samples collected in the field were analysed in our laboratories and at the PVT Laboratory of Sonangol in Luanda to constitute the results of this manuscript. The results of these analyses show that the crude oil of the Muanda field is a Medium Crude Oil (29.7°API) on the API density scale with the hypothesis of two sources: one of Light Oil, the other of Medium Oil). These two sources of crude oil, induce the establishment of two oils of different viscosities and pour points of which one more viscous (Mu 23) and the other less viscous (Mu 16 and Mu 2) having the average pour point at 15° C (60°F). The Standing correlation gave acceptable results and close to those of the Electromagnetic Viscometer (EMV). The chemical composition showed that the crude oil is composed of 18.63% of gas and 81.37 % of Paraffins and Asphaltenes, and that this oil is of low sulfur content type (Low Sulfur Content (LSC) <0.6% weight). A solid sample collected from the oil field was characterized through melting, further heating and solidification point (28 oC). "