Evaluation of the Influence of a Chemical Inhibitor on Asphaltene Destabilization and Deposition Mechanisms under Atmospheric and Oil Production Conditions Using QCM and AFM Techniques
Marc Cassiède, Aurora Mejı́a, Sadia Radji, Hervé Carrier, Jean‐Luc Daridon, Mohamed Saidoun, F. Tort
Abstract
An immersed quartz crystal resonator (QCR) was employed to assess the effectiveness of a modified alkylphenol resin in reducing asphaltene deposition on metal surfaces under various temperature and pressure conditions. The QCR response to asphaltene flocculation was first monitored during isothermal n-heptane titration experiments of dead crude oils with different contents of the asphaltene inhibitor (AI). In addition, the effect of the AI presence on the morphology of asphaltene deposits was analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Then, constant mass expansion experiments were carried out to determine whether the presence of the AI influenced the asphaltene instability pressure and the deposition rate of asphaltenes in a dead oil + CH4 system with various CH4 contents. The results of all these investigations in the nanometer range shed new light on the AI technology and clearly demonstrate that the presence of the AI can reduce the asphaltene deposition rate and modify the viscoelastic properties of the asphaltene solution in oil production conditions.