Synthesis of a Polymeric Inhibitor to Mitigate Asphaltene Formation Using the Molecular Structure of Asphaltene in One of Iranian Field

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Upstream Section, (RIPI), Tehran, Iran

10.22078/pr.2025.5559.3466

Abstract

Unstable oil produced always exposes the well and the production facilities to asphaltene deposition. In this study, a fluid sample was selected from one of the oil fields in southwestern Iran. This field has been producing since 1973 and currently has a daily production rate of  30,000 barrels per day of unstable oil and the problem of  asphaltene deposition is observed during production. Then it was tried to design a suitable inhibitor to mitigate the asphaltene formation according its molecular structe. For this purpose, first, an attempt was made to identify the properties of the oil and the conditions of asphaltene deposition formation and, as far as possible, its molecular structure. Then, a suitable inhibitor that has operational capabilities was synthesized and its performance was evaluated. Using bottomhole samples taken from the reservoir, the properties of the produced oil, gas to oil ratio, bubble point pressure, reservoir fluid components, and asphaltene deposition formation conditions and their values within the range of reservoir conditions to the production unit were measured. Next asphaltene deposits were separated using a 0.5 micron filter, and a continental structure was predicted using SARA test results and FT-IR and NMR spectra of the precipitates. Based on the molecular structure of asphaltene a polymer was synthesized using three monomers ACN-AMPS-N,NDMA and its thermal stability and performance on atmospheric oil were evaluated using oil viscosity and microscopic images. The results showed that by adding 1000 ppm of inhibitor to oil, the appearance point of asphaltene in a ratio of 50% of nC7 solvent in the condition without inhibitor was delayed by 70%.

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Main Subjects


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