Investigation on Crude Oil Fouling Behavior

In this work, the effect of blending crude oils on fouling propensity was investigated to determine the extent to which the compatibility of crude oils influences fouling. Fouling testing was performed on a series of crude oil blends with diverse compatibility profiles, as measured using a titration method. For the studied blends, the results show the main driving force behind fouling seems to be related to the compatibility of the components. As the blends approached the threshold of incompatibility, higher fouling propensities were observed. After testing, spent fluids and fouling deposits were recovered and analyzed. Stability changes in the fluids after the fouling tests were evaluated using titration measurements. These results showed that the stability of the blends increased after the runs, indicating a decrease in the solubility of the asphaltenes during fouling testing. These changes in the fluid are associated with thermal degradation of the fluid and are also evident in the deposits’ characteristics. Although compatibility seems to dominate fouling in these blends, results also revealed that there is an underlying complex behavior that requires further investigation based on detailed analysis of the samples.