Managing waxy crude production in deep water increases production

Engineers at the Schlumberger Deepwater Technology Hub, the well testing group at the DBR Research Center Edmonton, Canada, and flow assurance specialists in Perth, Australia, have developed a consistent workflow process that would work for any flow assurance issue with any hydrocarbon composition in any environment. The system, aimed to manage waxy crude production in deep water, works by performing standard pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) analysis of crude samples, showing the oil's propensity to deposit any of the undesirable elements such as wax, hydrates, scale, or asphaltene. Transient simulation models constructed using OLGA software that allowed simulation of shut-in, cool-down, and restart of the multiphase flowline. Simulation enabled operators to make judicious decisions about whether an inhibition treatment is warranted, and volume, rate, and type of treatment proposed.