Asphaltene Deposition

As global consumption of fossil fuels such as oil increases, previously abundant sources have become depleted or plagued with obstructions. Asphaltene deposition is one of such obstructions which can significantly decrease the rate of oil production. This book offers concise yet thorough coverage of the complex problem of asphaltene precipitation and deposition in oil production. It covers fundamentals of chemistry, stabilization theories and mechanistic approaches of asphaltene behavior at high temperature and pressure. Asphaltene Deposition: Fundamentals, Prediction, Prevention, and Remediation explains techniques for experimental determination of asphaltene precipitation and deposition and different modeling tools available to forecast the occurrence and magnitude of asphaltene deposition in a given oil field. It discusses strategies for mitigation of asphaltene deposition using chemical inhibition and corresponding challenges, best practices for asphaltene remediation, current research, and case studies.

Dr. Francisco M. Vargas is an assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice University and the chief technology adviser at Ennova LLC. His expertise in petroleum thermodynamics and flow assurance is the result of a number of years combining fundamental research with industrial experience, which has allowed him to develop some unique technologies to effectively address problems faced by the oil and gas industry. Francisco was the manager of the Flow Assurance Research and Development Program of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and he worked for the Flow Assurance Team of Chevron Energy Technology Company. He also held academic positions at the Petroleum Institute, in Abu Dhabi, and Tecnologico de Monterrey, in Mexico. He is actively involved in the organization of and presentation at technical meetings of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). Dr. Mohammad Tavakkoli is the chief executive officer at Ennova LLC. He has over ten years of experience in the successful design and execution of projects related to petroleum characterization, phase behavior, and flow assurance, and is the co-author of numerous journal articles and conference presentations in these areas. Besides his technical contributions, Mohammad has been actively involved with professional societies. He has been the programming chair of the Upstream Engineering and Flow Assurance Forum (UEFA) of the AIChE and co-organizer of the technical sessions in flow assurance of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC).

Introduction. Crude Oil and Asphaltene Characterization. Experimental Investigation of Asphaltene Precipitation. Asphaltene Precipitation Modeling. Experimental Determination of Asphaltene Deposition. Modeling Methods for Prediction of Asphaltene Deposition. Strategies for Mitigation and Remediation of Asphaltene Deposition. Case Studies and Field Applications. Conclusions, Current Research, and Future Directions