Asphaletene Dispersant Details

ASPHALTENE CONTROL PRODUCTS

Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. manufactures a wide variety of asphaltene dispersants that function in either the gas, oil or water phase.

Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. asphaltene control products are used by the following types of industries:

REFINERIES

OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

ASPHALT PLANTS

SERVICE AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. will analyze your application to help determine the most effective and economical methodology and product.

ASPHALTENE CONTROL GENERAL DISCUSSION

Asphaltenes are large complex aromatic molecules. They are defined as the molecules that are insoluble in pentane or hexane.The structure of asphaltenes consists of many molecules with a wide variety of molecular weights. Asphaltenes tend to contribute to the viscosity of heavy oil and tend to agglomerate.

Any changes within crude oil or natural gas will affect their balance within the system and will tend to cause the asphaltenes to precipitate or agglomerate further. In addition, the asphaltenes will tend to coalesce at oil/water interfaces stabilizing emulsions, increasing viscosity and making the emulsions difficult to break. These can be changes in pressure, temperature, fluid composition, incompatible oils, etc, etc.

When asphaltenes are present in natural gas streams, they typically are removed in glycol reboilers and tend to plug up glycol filters, resulting in frequent and costly filter changes. The asphaltenes in the gas stream can also plug metering stations, pipelines, etc.

In crude oil flows, the asphaltenes can act as nucleating sites for waxes and paraffins causing these to precipitate earlier than would normally be expected.

These deposits can plug pipelines causing reduced flows.

Wax and asphaltene plug in a pipeline

Asphaltene accumulation

Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. Provides Asphaltene Dispersants and Solvents that can help prevent or reduce all these asphaltene related problems.

These dispersants can maintain the asphaltenes in a liquid state selectively either into the oil or water phase and prevent their further agglomeration.

APPLICATIONS:

The different types of application are batch treatment or continuous treatment.

BATCH TREATMENT:

STANDARD BATCH The inhibitor can be added undiluted or diluted . Typically the first problem is to re-solvate the asphaltenes with a specialty Westhaven solvent to remove the problem. One of Westhaven’s proprietary asphaltene dispersants is typically added to the batch treatment to help any re-precipitation of the asphaltenes.

Dilution rates are determined by the Weschem Production Technologies Ltd specialist based on testing and evaluation of the system.

CONTINUOUS TREATMENT

Pipelines, flowlines, injection wells, and producing wells can be treated continuously by injecting the asphaltene inhibitor directly into the system (gas or oil) at a rate of 10 to 100 parts per million based upon flow or production. Frequently, there is more than asphaltenes just present and your Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. specialist will evaluate these in determining the program most suitable for the application.

PIPELINES can be treated continuously or by batch. They may be batched treated with slugs of inhibitor between pigs to ensure full contact.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

The information in this bulletin is believed to be accurate but all recommendations are made without warranty, since the conditions of use are beyond Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. control. The listed properties are illustrative only and not product specifications. Westhaven Energy Company Ltd. disclaims any liability connection with the use of the information. The use of these products being beyond the control of the manufacturer, no guarantee, expressed or implied, is made as to the effects of such or the results to be obtained if not used in accordance with directions or established safe practice. The buyer must assume all responsibility, including injury or damage, resulting from its misuse as such, or in combination with other materials.