Surpina Nazliah Binti, Mohyaldinn Mysara Eissa, Abduljabbar Abdullah, Ayoub Mohammed Abdalla
Petroleum Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia.
Center of Flow Assurance, Institute of Subsurface Resources, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 28;20(1):e0313394. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313394. eCollection 2025.
Oil fields located in cold environments and deep-sea locations often face challenges with paraffin wax buildup in pipelines during long-distance crude oil transportation. Various strategies have been employed to address this issue, with chemical methods being the most effective and economical. However, traditional chemical inhibitors present problems due to their high toxicity and low biodegradability, leading to increased operational costs and environmental concerns. This study focuses on developing an eco-friendly paraffin inhibitor system using three different concentrations of Glycine and Palm-based Methyl Ester Sulfonate (MES). Experiments were conducted on crude oil samples from the Dulang Oilfield. The experimental measurements include wax appearance temperature (WAT), pour point temperature (PPT), and rheological tests in the absence and presence of the proposed inhibitors. The results revealed that both Glycine and MES can effectively reduce WAT, viscosity, and yield point. Specifically, 10% Glycine was the best inhibitor, reducing WAT by 23.3%. However, MES (1%, 5%, and 10%) demonstrated greater overall effectiveness, with an average WAT reduction of 13.76% compared to Glycine's 10.85%. MES also shows a better performance in reducing viscosity and yield stress. While PPT results were insignificant, MES is recommended as a flow improver rather than a pour point depressant. The successful development of these newly formulated chemical inhibitors promises an environmentally sustainable and economically efficient approach to maximizing oil production from mature fields while mitigating paraffin precipitation.
位于寒冷环境和深海地区的油田在长途原油运输过程中，管道内经常面临石蜡堆积的挑战。人们采用了各种策略来解决这个问题，其中化学方法最为有效且经济。然而，传统的化学抑制剂由于其高毒性和低生物降解性而存在问题，导致运营成本增加和环境问题。本研究聚焦于使用三种不同浓度的甘氨酸和棕榈基甲基酯磺酸盐（MES）开发一种环保型石蜡抑制剂体系。对都郎油田的原油样品进行了实验。实验测量包括析蜡温度（WAT）、倾点温度（PPT）以及在所提出的抑制剂存在和不存在的情况下的流变学测试。结果表明，甘氨酸和MES都能有效降低WAT、粘度和屈服点。具体而言，10%的甘氨酸是最佳抑制剂，使WAT降低了23.3%。然而，MES（1%、5%和10%）总体效果更佳，与甘氨酸10.85%的平均WAT降低率相比，其平均WAT降低率为13.76%。MES在降低粘度和屈服应力方面也表现出更好的性能。虽然PPT结果不显著，但MES被推荐作为一种流动改进剂而非倾点降低剂。这些新配方化学抑制剂的成功开发有望提供一种环境可持续且经济高效的方法，在减轻石蜡沉淀的同时，最大限度地提高成熟油田的石油产量。
