Effect of Depressant on the Inhibition of Wax Deposition of Crude Oils From the Western Region of Ukraine

Wax deposits create significant obstacles to the flow of crude oil, as they cause pressure anomalies in the pipeline, reduce its passage diameter, and lead to artificial blockages. For two types of oil from the Dolinske and Borislavske fields (the western region of Ukraine), the amount of deposits was determined using the Cold Finger method. The dynamics of the growth in the deposit amount within a time up to 24 hours were shown. The effectiveness of the Dodiflow 5236 pour point depressant as a wax deposition inhibitor was evaluated. It was found that the depressant reduces the amount of deposits formed by 1.5-2.5 times. In addition, the depressant reduces the rate of wax deposition and changes the structure of crystals. It was shown that the amount of deposits formed from crude oil and oil with a depressant depends not only on the physicochemical characteristics of the oil, but also on the temperature difference between the oil and the wall.