Method for characterizing the stability of foulants and/or efficacy of foulant inhibitors within petroleum-based fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9360425-B2
Application number	US-201414267635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2014
Priority date	May 2, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A petroleum-based fluid sample may be centrifuged in a centrifuge vial where a light may be passed through the petroleum-based fluid sample to identify an amount of transmitted light at two or more time intervals. The stability of the foulant(s) and/or efficacy of the foulant inhibitors to prevent the destabilization of the foulants may be determined by comparing a change in the amounts of transmitted light through the petroleum-based fluid sample. The petroleum-based fluid sample may include a petroleum-based fluid, at least one foulant, and an optional additive for destabilizing the foulant(s). The additive may be or include a first component, such as but not limited to n-alkanes, iso-alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cyclo-alkanes, natural gas, natural gas condensate, alcohols, ethers, ketones, organic acids, acetates, carbon dioxide, and combinations thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to determine a stability of at least one foulant within a petroleum-based fluid sample comprising:
centrifuging a petroleum-based fluid sample in a centrifuge vial; wherein the petroleum-based fluid sample comprises at least one petroleum-based fluid and at least one foulant;
passing a light through the petroleum-based fluid sample; and
comparing at least two identified amounts of transmitted light at two or more time intervals through the petro…

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc

Inventors

• Jennings David Wayne
• Cable Robert
• Leonard Geoffrey Charles

Classifications

• G01N21/59 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic