Evaluation of Flow Assurance in Onshore Production Facilities in the Niger Delta
Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
SCIENCEDOMAIN International
Abstract
Flow assurance is the efficient and successful flow of fluids in pipes. Some of the flow assurance challenges that can be encountered include hydrate formation, sand production, wax precipitation, scale deposits and emulsion problems. In onshore production facilities in the Niger Delta, wax deposition is the major challenge to efficient fluid flow. Consequently, it has been the focus of research to profer effective predictive and preventive solutions to a problem that has been tackled with curative methods for decades. This paper investigated paraffinic wax deposition using laboratory tests and field simulation with PipeSim; a pipeline simulator. The tests gave wax content results of 3.73% and 4.77% for samples A and B. The Simulation gave results of 3.71% and 4.78% for samples A and B, producing a good match when compared against the test results with a difference of less than ه0.05%. This paper therefore recommends the use of PipeSim simulation package for wax deposition determination and prediction especially in the absence of laboratory data in addition to properly scheduled pigging and solvent injections to check wax deposition in facilities handling waxy crude oil.
Description
A research article "onshore Production Facilities" that contains tables and graphs.
Keywords
Flow assurance, wax deposition, laboratory test, pipe sim, simulation, waxy crude oil, Niger delta, Department of Petroleum Engineering
Citation
Igwilo, K. C., Onwugbuchulem C. V. & Ohia, N. P.(2016) Evaluation of Flow Assurance in Onshore Production Facilities in the Niger Delta. Advances in Research, Vol. 6, No.2, P.1-14