The mechanism of magnetic activation of oil for well protection against asphaltene deposits

UDK: 622.276.72: 544.77.022

Key words: magnetic activation, asphaltene deposits, asphaltene supramolecular structure, aggregation and peptization of asphaltenes, paramagnetism, spin dynamics of radical pairs

Authors: A.A. Zlobin (Perm National Research Polytechnic University, RF, Perm)

The article presents the experimental study and description of the mechanism of oils magnetic activation for the protection against asphaltene deposits, and improvement of the efficiency of high-viscosity oil extraction. The brief overview of the history of the use of magnetic activation is given. We describe the laboratory methods used for the efficiency of the magnetic activation assessment. The experiments revealed that a positive effect on protection against paraffin oil can be achieved for any oil regardless of the composition and viscosity, but it requires the selection of individual modes of activation. It is shown that the value of the "magnetic memory" of oil nonlinearly grows with increasing magnetic field strength, and may reach 20-40 hours. It is set a common mechanism for oil magnetic resonance activation. The efficiency of the magnetic activation depends on content of asphaltene-containing substances, i.e. the disperse phase of oil. We describe briefly the theory of paramagnetic spin dynamics of radical pairs, which occurs when activating oil. Mechanism of magnetic activation is that a magnetic field with a small supply of excitation energy produces selection of chemical and physical reactions by controlling the spin state of electrons, and stimulates recombination and formation of paramagnetic radical pairs, which ensures the manifestation of long-term high-activity (phase transitions) of asphaltene molecules with release of or absorption of energy, leading to the restructuring of the asphaltene nucleus of macro structures and physical oil in general. At the same time a positive protective effect against the asphaltene deposits after activation is due to aggregation and consolidation of asphaltene complexes, decrease in the specific surface adsorption of paraffin crystals, and creation in the volume of oil harmonic oscillation modes that reduce the probability of nucleation and subsequent growth of paraffin crystals. The results can be used in the development of modern methods for properties of oil disperse systems management and the development of downhole and surface magnetic activators.

References

1. Klassen V.I., Omagnichivanie vodnykh sistem (Magnetization of water

systems), Moscow: Khimiya Publ., 1978, 180 p.

2. Inyushin N.N., Ishemguzhin E.I., Kashtanova L.E. et al., Apparaty dlya

magnitnoy obrabotki zhidkostey (Apparatuses for magnetic treatment of

liquids), Ufa: Reaktiv Publ., 2000, 147 p.

3. Spiridonov R.V., Demakhin S.A., Kivokurtsev A.Yu., Magnitnaya obrabotka

zhidkostey v neftedobyche (Magnetic treatment of fluids in oil production),

Saratov: Kolledzh Publ., 2003,136 p.

4. Zlobin A.A., Yushkov I.R., Analysis of the work of magnetic activators for

the protection from the paraffin depositions (In Russ.), Neftyanoe

khozyaystvo = Oil Industry, 2011, no. 10, pp. 35–37.

5. Postnikov V.V., Fazovye i strukturnye prevrashcheniya v diamagnitnykh

materialakh posle vozdeystviya slabykh magnitnykh poley (Phase and

structural transmutations into diamagnetic materials after weak magnetic

fields action): thesis of doctor of physical and mathematical sciences,

Voronezh, 2004.

6. Kolesnikova E.D., Vozdeystvie slabykh magnitnykh poley na protsessy

kristallizatsii i plavleniya lineynykh polimerov (Effect of weak magnetic

fields on processes of crystallization and melting of linear polymers): thesis

of candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, Voronezh, 2007.

7. Morgunov R.B., Buchachenko A.L., Magnetoplasticity and magnetic

memory in diamagnetic solids (In Russ.), Zhurnal eksperimental’noy i teoreticheskoy

fiziki = Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, 2009, V.

136, no. 3(9), pp. 505–515.

8. Zel’dovich Ya.B., Buchachenko A.L., Frankevich E.L., Magnetic spin effects

in chemistry and molecular physics (In Russ.), Uspekhi Fizicheskikh

Nauk = Physics-Uspekhi,1988, V. 155, no. 1, pp. 3–45.

9. Patent no. 2127708 RF kl. C 02 F 1/48, Device for magnetic treatment of

liquid, Inventors: Borsutskiy Z.R., Zlobin A.A.

10. Zlobin A.A., Experimental research of nanoparticle aggregation and

self-assembly in oil dispersed systems (In Russ.), Vestnik Permskogo natsional’nogo

issledovatel’skogo politekhnicheskogo universiteta. Geologiya.

Neftepromyslovoe i gornoe delo = Bulletin of PNRPU. geology. oil & gas engineering

& mining, 2015, no. 15, pp. 57–72.

11. Zlobin A.A., Protopopov A.A., Structural and energy method for selection

of paraffin deposits inhibitors (In Russ.), Neftyanoe khozyaystvo = Oil Industry,

2014, no. 6, pp. 48–51.

12. Unger F.G., Andreeva L.N., Fundamental’nye aspekty khimii nefti. Priroda

smol i asfal’tenov (Fundamental aspects of oil chemistry. The nature of

the resins and asphaltenes), Novosibirsk: Nauka, Siberian Publishing House

of the RAS, 1995, 192 p.

13. Rogachev M.K., Strizhnev K.V., Bor’ba s oslozhneniyami pri dobyche

nefti (Solution of oil production problems), Moscow: Nedra-Biznestsentr

Publ., 2006, 295 p.

14. Rozantsev E.G., Sholle V.D., Organicheskaya khimiya svobodnykh radikalov

(Organic chemistry of free radicals), Moscow: Khimiya Publ., 1979, 344 p.