POUR POINT DEPRESSANT STUDIES ON CRUDE OIL FROM CAMBAY

Paraffins are organic deposit encountered in oil extraction constituting of saturated hydrocarbons containing more than 16C atoms. Their precipitation during pipeline transportation of waxy crude occurs when wax molecules reach their solubility limit as a result of a change in equilibrium conditions resulting in loss of paraffin solubility. This eventually leads to several problems like, deposition of wax, reduced flow, and gel formation, adversely impacting pipeline performance. Adding doses of polymeric wax inhibitors or pour point depressants in reasonable amounts comprise an effective preventive measure. Most of these polymeric additives could be classified under crystalline-amorphous copolymers, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, comb polymers and nano-hybrids.