Rick Gdanski, Halliburton Services
Forty crude oils having 10% or less paraffin content were examined for their potential to deposit paraffin. The deposition was then correlated against several crude oil characteristics. It was found that the paraffin cloud point and the paraffin content were the two most important factors which dictated deposition potential. Viscosity versus temperature plots allow estimation of both paraffin cloud point and paraffin content. Pour point was not a factor in dictating deposition. It is suggested that a cloud point depression test is a better method than a pour point depression test for choosing a paraffin inhibitor. This is true only for low paraffin content crudes. However, there does not appear to be any quick test which allows one to predict the best paraffin inhibitor 100% of the time.