Asphaltene precipitation and deposition: A critical review

Asphaltene deposition in the reservoirs, tubbing, and surface facilities causes serious flow assurance problems with significant economic implications. Asphaltene flow assurance challenge results from pressure depletion, fluid compositional change, and electrostatic interactions between the rock-fluid system resulting in deposition inside the reservoir and alteration of petrophysical properties such as permeability and wettability. Ultimately, these damages affect production and economically impact business decisions. Several preventive and corrective approaches have been presented with the focus of mitigating asphaltene flow assurance problems. Accordingly, many experimental findings and models have been proposed over the years, with each assuming different precipitation and depositional mechanisms. Thus, begs the question of which model best describes the asphaltene depositional problem and what unique attributes give it the advantage. Furthermore, what prevention strategy can be applied economically at the field scale? This and many other questions are the pivots upon which this paper rest, with the sole purpose of giving researchers a clear view of what is been known and what areas are open for further research. Comparative and critique-based approaches have been adopted in this review, with the intent of providing a holistic view of the asphaltene problem by analyzing the existing approaches adopted by several researchers and field applicability of their findings. Thus, this paper investigates the asphaltene problem from its chemistry and molecular level to field-scale implications thus giving a holistic view of the problem.

Automated summary

The deposition of asphaltene in reservoirs and pipelines leads to serious flow assurance challenges with significant economic implications. Various preventive and corrective measures have been proposed, but the discussion on the best model and cost-effective prevention strategy is ongoing.