ABSTRACT
Asphaltene deposition is one of the major problems in the production, processing, and transportation of crude oils. The precipitated and subsequently deposited asphaltenes could cause the plugging of oilfield tubing, significantly reducing well productivity. Thus, it is important to develop reliable, straightforward, and inexpensive experimental techniques to determine the occurrence and the magnitude of asphaltene deposition. In this chapter, the common experimental setups to assess asphaltene deposition in the laboratory are presented. The development of the capillary-deposition flow loop, quartz crystal microbalance, RealView deposition cell, and packed-bed column to investigate asphaltene deposition in the wellbores and pipelines is discussed. Additionally, the application of the core-flooding test and the microfluidic device to determine asphaltene deposition in porous media is evaluated. The capabilities and limitations of these experimental techniques are discussed and compared. Furthermore, the impacts of water, electrolytes, corrosion, and surface coating on asphaltene deposition tendency are also examined.
