Paraffin and Asphaltene Dispersants and Solvents
Flotron® Products for Paraffin and Asphaltene Control in the Oilfield

Paraffins and asphaltenes are commonly-occurring components of crude oils, which have the potential to seriously interfere with production and in many cases, shut it down entirely. Asphaltenes are large aromatic agglomerates composed primarily of heterocyclic rings. Held in solution in crude oil by naturally occurring petroleum resins that adhere to the outer surface of the asphaltene agglomerate, they will precipitate and deposit in your production system in locations where pressure drops allow the resins to desorb. Paraffins are saturated hydrocarbon waxes that will precipitate and deposit in areas where your production system’s temperature falls below the solubility temperature of the paraffins, known as the Wax Appearance Temperature (WAT). Like asphaltenes, paraffins can block a production system and completely stop production.

In locations where paraffins or asphaltenes have already deposited in a system, remedial treatment is necessary for their removal. Champion’s Flotron® line of paraffin and asphaltene dispersants and solvents offer the capability to remove these deposits and restore a production system to its designed capacity. Flotron® solvents remove paraffin and asphaltene deposits when used in batch treatments by simply dissolving the deposits, while Flotron® dispersants contain oil soluble surfactants that break up the paraffin or asphaltene deposit and disperse it in the oil.

While Flotron® products can be used in continuous injection applications to control deposition of waxes and asphaltenes, the normal procedure is to remove existing deposits through batch treatment. The volume of chemical and frequency of treatment required for batch treatments will depend primarily on the severity of the problem. Once existing paraffin and asphaltene deposits are removed, continuous injection treatment provides a cost-effective approach to maintaining a system with no production-inhibiting deposits.

Proper treating recommendations for cost-effective control of paraffins and asphaltenes are complicated by the differences in characteristics of the produced oil, variations in system operating conditions and the wide variety of chemicals available for use. Selection of the proper chemical and treating method should be based on laboratory and field-testing. Champion’s focus on custom-tailored product formulation and project-specific field service makes Flotron® products the “go-to” tool for removal of paraffin and asphaltene deposits, restoring the production capacity of the customer’s assets and enhancing their bottom line.