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    Transportation of Waxy Crude Oils

    Uploaded by

    Ishan Haider
    The document discusses the challenges of transporting waxy crude oils via pipeline. Key issues include wax crystallization at low temperatures, which increases viscosity and can cause deposits on pipeline walls. This leads to problems like higher pumping energy costs, reduced flow capacity, and in severe cases, gelling or blockage of the pipeline. Methods to address this include adding pour point depressants, diluting with less waxy crudes, maintaining higher temperatures, and conditioning crudes before transport to change wax crystal structures.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Transportation of Waxy Crude Oils

    Uploaded by

    Ishan Haider
    374 views23 pages
    The document discusses the challenges of transporting waxy crude oils via pipeline. Key issues include wax crystallization at low temperatures, which increases viscosity and can cause deposits on pipeline walls. This leads to problems like higher pumping energy costs, reduced flow capacity, and in severe cases, gelling or blockage of the pipeline. Methods to address this include adding pour point depressants, diluting with less waxy crudes, maintaining higher temperatures, and conditioning crudes before transport to change wax crystal structures.

    Original Description:

    Waxy crude transportation issues that occur BY vikas kumar Sanghal

    Original Title

    transportation of Waxy Crude Oils

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    The document discusses the challenges of transporting waxy crude oils via pipeline. Key issues include wax crystallization at low temperatures, which increases viscosity and can cause deposits on pipeline walls. This leads to problems like higher pumping energy costs, reduced flow capacity, and in severe cases, gelling or blockage of the pipeline. Methods to address this include adding pour point depressants, diluting with less waxy crudes, maintaining higher temperatures, and conditioning crudes before transport to change wax crystal structures.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    374 views23 pages

    Transportation of Waxy Crude Oils

    Uploaded by

    Ishan Haider
    The document discusses the challenges of transporting waxy crude oils via pipeline. Key issues include wax crystallization at low temperatures, which increases viscosity and can cause deposits on pipeline walls. This leads to problems like higher pumping energy costs, reduced flow capacity, and in severe cases, gelling or blockage of the pipeline. Methods to address this include adding pour point depressants, diluting with less waxy crudes, maintaining higher temperatures, and conditioning crudes before transport to change wax crystal structures.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 23
    At a glance
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    The key takeaways are that wax formation during crude oil transportation can lead to increased viscosity, deposition on pipe walls, and in extreme cases gelling of the oil. This causes problems like reduced pipeline capacity and flow, and safety hazards.

    Some of the problems caused by wax deposition include reduction or plugging of pipework, increased pumping pressure, reduced operating efficiency and process upsets, costly removal from deepwater pipelines, and safety hazards from deposits interfering with valves and instruments.

    The two main types of wax crystals that can form are macro crystalline wax from paraffin hydrocarbons and microcrystalline wax from naphthenic hydrocarbons.

    TRANSPORTATION OF WAXY CRUDE OILS

    INTRODUCTION

    Crude oil contains a mixture of light and heavy hydrocarbons. The


    lighter components in the crude oil keep the heavier components in
    solution. This solubility depends very strongly on the temperature.

    At low temperatures separation of wax takes place, which is a problem


    in the transportation of the crude.

    Formation of wax crystals leads to following problems:


    1.
    Leads to higher viscosity with increased energy consumption for
    pumping and a decreased capacity.
    2.
    The wax crystals tend to deposit on the pipe walls during
    transportation. This leads to increased pipeline roughness, reduced
    effective diameter, more frequent pigging requirement and
    potential blockage.
    3.
    In extreme cases, wax crystals may also cause oil to gel and lead to
    problems of restarting the pipeline.
    4.
    Safety hazard due to deposits interfering with the operation of
    valves and instruments.

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    Typical problems caused by wax deposition include:

    Reduction or plugging of pipe work, blocking flow


    Increased pumping pressure
    Reduced operating efficiency and process upsets with
    interruptions to production or shut downs

    Costly and technically challenging removal, especially in


    deepwater pipelines

    Safety hazard due to deposits interfering with the


    operation of valves and instruments

    Disposal problems associated with accumulated wax

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    Paraffin wax

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    Microcrystalline , Microcrystalline, and Crystal Deposit Network of Wax

    The wax present in petroleum crudes primarily


    consists of paraffin hydrocarbons (C18 - C36)
    known as paraffin wax and naphthenic
    hydrocarbons (C30 - C60). Hydrocarbon
    components of wax can exist in various states
    of matter (gas, liquid or solid) depending on
    their temperature and pressure. When the wax
    freezes it forms crystals. the crystals formed of
    paraffin wax are known as macro crystalline
    wax. Those formed from naphthenes are known
    as microcrystalline wax

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    Advantages of predicting wax deposits


    The knowledge of the magnitude of wax deposition can lead

    to reduction of insulation requirements


    Process heat loads can be reduced by increasing efficiency of

    heat transfer
    Problems related to start up and shutdown can be solved cost

    effectively
    The size of export pumps and flow lines can be reduced

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    Pipeline Transportation:
    For the transportation of large quantities of
    crude oils, pipelines are the most economic
    means. Under safety aspects, transportation by
    pipeline guarantees the best protection for the
    environment. Further, there is no handling of
    other traffic and no disturbance by noise or air
    pollution. A continuous supply to the refineries is
    normally assured and this is not endangered by
    weather conditions such as fog, icy roads, or
    traffic conditions along inland waterways, such
    as high or low water level, ice, etc.
    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    Shutdown of a pipeline is the most undesirable situation. It


    may occur due to the following reasons :
    There is an inadequate stock of oil in the terminal. This
    could be caused by distribution in tanker schedules, for
    instance, due to weather conditions.
    2.
    There are no delivery requirements by the refineries fed by
    pipeline. This could be caused by disruption in operations of one
    or more of the
    processing units of the refineries, for
    instance, due to equipment breakdown.
    A pressure test for leakage control of the pipeline has to be
    performed.
    Repair, maintenance work on the pipeline system including pumps
    is required.
    The pipeline might be shutdown automatically by exceeding the
    operational safety limits.
    1.

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    10

    Rheological Parameters
    Shear Stress: Force per unit area to initiate flow
    Shear rate: Velocity gradient dU/dr
    Viscosity: Ratio of shear stress to shear rate
    Yield Stress: The ability of fluid to restart its flow after
    shutdown
    As at low temperature wax formation in crude oil takes
    place, it behaves as non-Newtonian fluid. Hence,
    knowledge of the rheological factors is important.

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    12

    Classification of Fluids

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    13

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    14

    PUMPABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF WAXY CRUDE OILS

    Guidelines for design of pipeline :

    1. Operating safety
    2. Operating economy
    Factors affecting the pumpability of crude oil :
    1. Temperature
    2. Flow at restart
    3. Effective Pipeline Viscosity

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    15

    METHODS FOR PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION OF WAXY CRUDE OILS


    1. Select pumps to allow a parallel/series arrangement, which could transport at slower
    rates and higher pressures when required. The piping could be manifold so that parallel
    arrangement would be accommodated by repositioning of valves to handle higher flow
    rates.

    2. Use of separate low flow, high head pumps for restarting.


    3. Side traps at frequent intervals to allow short sections to be started separately.
    4. Reverse pumping to create back and forth pumping sequence which prohibits static cool
    down.

    5. Use of pour point depressants/flow improvers.


    6. Adding hydrocarbon diluents such as a less waxy crude or light distillate.
    7. Injection of water to form a layer between pipe wall and crude.
    8. Mixing water with crude to form an emulsion.
    9. Displacement with water or light hydrocarbon liquid in case of shutdown of pipeline.
    10. Separation at higher than normal pressure to allow as much gas and light hydrocarbons
    as possible to remain in the crude.
    11. Conditioning the crude before pipelining to change the wax crystal structure and reduce
    pour point and viscosity.
    12. Further sub-division of pipeline into smaller segment or reducing batch length of waxy
    crude to increase maximum shear stress available.
    13. Combination of the above
    methods.
    Transporation
    of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    Use of Pour Point Depressants/Flow Improvers:


    hold the greatest promise of achieving the desired overall objectives of operational
    safety and operating economy

    Reduce the pour point, viscosity and yield stress under dynamic

    conditions; and
    Restart the pumping after a shutdown with the available shear stress.

    Chemically pour point depressants/flow improvers are ashless polymeric


    additives which when added into the crude oil at 200-600 ppm level
    reduce the pour point and viscosity of the crude oil
    Mechanism of Flow Improvement
    Point of Additive Injection:

    The additives should be injected into the crude above or around its cloud
    point. The additive pour point could be depressed considerably by
    cutting (diluting) the basic component with kerosene, or aromatic
    solvents.
    No heating of the oil is required.
    Subsequent external application of heat can be avoided or minimized.
    Transporation
    of waxy
    crude oil
    Dr. V.
    K. Sangaldownstream.
    1/18/2016
    The maximum benefit
    can be
    derived
    inbythe
    system

    17

    Pour Point Reduction by Additives:

    Pour point measurements on crude oils have


    been used to detect low
    temperature
    handling problems
    2.
    Pour point can at best be used for
    preliminary screening of various
    additives
    1.

    (a)
    (b)
    (c)
    (d)

    alkyl acrylate polymers and copolymers,


    olefin alkyl maleate copolymers,
    vinyl ester polymers and copolymers, and
    alkylated polystyrene

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    Effect of Flow Improvers on Yield Stress and Viscosity


    Doping level

    Yield stress @ 16 C

    Viscosity @ 16C

    ppm

    dynes/cm2

    cP

    Nil

    330.0

    45.0

    250

    62.5

    45.0

    300

    62.5

    42.4

    400

    45.8

    41.0

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    19

    Dose of Pour point


    Depressant in
    Bombay High Crude

    Nil

    Yield stress at 16 oC
    dynes/cm2

    Viscosity at 16C at flow


    development, cP

    Test was abandoned as oil could not be transferred to


    model pipeline due to congealing at 18C.

    400

    21.2

    435 at 45 dynes/cm2

    750

    20.2

    589 at 45 dynes/cm2

    1000

    27.5

    966 at 45 dynes/cm2

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    20

    Incorporation of Low Pour Point Crudes in Waxy


    Crudes
    Crude blend

    Yield value at 16C,


    dynes/cm2

    100% Bombay High

    330.0

    100% Bombay High with 250 ppm of pour point


    depressant

    62.5

    90% Bombay High + 10% Basrah with 250 ppm pour


    point depressant

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    5.0

    1/18/2016

    21

    Doping temperature is quite important as far as yield stresses are


    concerned
    Crude blend

    Yield stress at 16C, dynes/cm2


    50oC Doping

    30C Doping

    90% Bombay High + 10% Basrah with 250 ppm


    pour point depressant

    5.0

    25.0

    90% Bombay High + 10% Basrah with 300 ppm


    pour point depressant

    5.0

    25.0

    90% Bombay High + 10% Basrah with 400 ppm


    pour point depressant

    5.0

    25.0

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    22

    Crude Oil Conditioning


    crude oil conditioning is a unique process is developed by Oil
    India Limited.
    The crude oil is first heated (100C) to melt and dissolve the
    wax in it. Thereafter, on dynamic cooling (65C) and
    working through the pump the crude oil is subjected to
    static cooling at a predetermined rate. The result is the
    conditioned crude oil which has much improved physical
    properties than the virgin crude oil.

    The conditioned crude oil remains fluid at much lower


    temperature (18-20oC) and possesses satisfactory physical
    properties so far as transportation of crude oil through the
    pipeline to refineries during the winter months is
    concerned. This has been employed for transporting waxy
    crude oils from Assam (India).
    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

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    23

    Thanks
    for
    listening

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    24

    ASSIGNMENT
    1. Wax formation and its control during the transportation of crude oil

    (200 words.
    Max)

    2. Methods for pipeline Transportation of crude oils.


    3. Short Notes: (150 words. Max)
    Pour point depressants/Flow improvers
    Crude oil conditioning

    Transporation of waxy crude oil by Dr. V. K. Sangal

    1/18/2016

    25

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