The Influence of Operating Temperatures on Wax Deposition During Cold Flow and Hot Flow of Crude Oil

Abstract

The authors examined the effect of operating temperatures on the wax deposition by using the cold finger device and high-temperature gas chromatography. The decreases in coolant temperature have been observed to result in increases in the amount of total deposit, but decreases in the amount of high carbon number components in deposit. When the bulk oil temperature increases from the gelling, cold flow, and hot flow conditions, the deposition rate decreases first, then increases, and then finally decreases while the wax content and the percentage of high carbon number component increase all the way.

Keywords:

• wax deposition
• cold finger
• carbon distribution
• cold flow
• hot flow