Characterization of paraffinic deposits in crude oil storage tanks using high temperature gas chromatography

Problems related to the crystallization and deposition of heavy organic fractions during production, transportation and storage of crude oils can lead to considerable financial losses for the petroleum industry. The heavy organic fractions may include paraffins or waxes, resins, asphaltenes, and organometallic compounds that exist in crude oils in various quantities, states, and forms. The severity of the deposition problems varies widely and depends on factors such as the crude oil composition, operating conditions in the reservoir and production procedures. Problems associated with the solid deposits may be encountered anywhere in the production process from the reservoir to the refinery. In this paper, it is proposed to focus on production problems associated with certain fields in Tunisia. The problems manifested themselves through the accumulation of solid deposits in the storage tanks at a Tunisian terminal and originated from the mixtures of various crude oils transported to the terminal by pipeline. The principal analytical method for the characterization of the solids was high temperature gas chromatography following concentration of the wax fraction through a modification of the conventional acetone precipitation technique.