A High-Pressure, High-Temperature, Precise, and High-Throughput Technique for Screening Asphaltene Inhibitors

This paper introduces an apparatus and method for measuring the deposition of asphaltenes under reservoir conditions. We observed little to no correlation between ambient inhibitor studies and high-pressure, high-temperature studies, further emphasizing the need for work under realistic conditions. The system contains an inline near-infrared spectroscopy cell for observation of live fluid phase behavior, such as asphaltene onsets and saturation pressures. The apparatus enables precipitation and subsequent deposition of asphaltenes via pressure depletion utilizing live or recombined samples while allowing for manipulation of variables such as pressure, temperature, tubing orientation, gas injection, surface roughness, and material. It uses a very low volume of 12 mL of fluid per run with a run time of only 2 h. The system generates repeatable deposits that can be used for inhibitor screening.