Study on the chemical compatibility of commercial demulsifiers with production fluids

Abstract

To mitigate problems in flow assurance, such as hydrate formation, paraffin deposition, emulsions, some chemicals are injected into the production system. These chemicals can present some chemical incompatibility with the production fluids, causing problems of precipitation and blockage in the product injection lines. The works available in the literature on the precipitation and clogging of chemicals in the injection lines are concentrated on the scale inhibiting chemicals, where there are reports on the clogging in lines, valves and accelerated corrosion of the injection systems, however, the studies that reports such problems with the use of demulsifiers are scarce. There are some hypotheses presented for the case of incrustation inhibitors, which can be verified if it will occur for demulsifiers, such as: alteration in the phase equilibrium of the demulsifier, due to variations in pressure and temperature gradients along the injection umbilical; chemical incompatibility with another added chemical; chemical incompatibility with some valve sealing material; valve opening mechanism itself, which works by pressure differential between the well and the injection system; use of inadequate filters in the injection lines; and even the formation of particulates in the chemical during its storage (aging effect). The undergraduate student will make an extensive review of the literature on the chemical constitution of production fluids and demulsifiers, as well as plan and perform tests to identify a demulsifier that does not occur physically and therefore presents incompatibility during injection in the field, and that in the end it can contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon that occurs in the field. (AU)