Bio-based flow improvers for waxy petroleum crude

This study investigated the efficacy of bio-based flow improvers, soybean oil (SBO) and castor oil (CAO), in mitigating the flow challenges posed by waxy crude oil, using Bonny Light crude oil as a case study. The study evaluated the impact of these additives on viscosity, gel strength, and pour point reduction. The performance of these additives was compared with a conventional flow improver, xylene. Results indicated that both SBO and CAO effectively reduced viscosity, gel strength, and pour point of the crude oil. Castor oil demonstrated superior performance in reducing gel strength, achieving a 98% reduction at 0.1 v/v concentration. Soybean oil, on the other hand, exhibited better performance in reducing pour point, with a 56.3% reduction at 1.9 v/v concentration. Xylene showed the highest viscosity reduction but had a less pronounced effect on gel strength and pour point. Optimum viscosity reduction of 85%, 83%, and 87% was achieved for SBO, CAO, and xylene, respectively, at specific process conditions. Similarly, gel strength reduction reached 94.36%, 94.89%, and 95.79% for SBO, CAO, and xylene, respectively. Pour point reduction was 56.3%, 52.7%, and 45.5% for SBO, CAO, and xylene, respectively, at the highest concentration tested. The study demonstrated the potential of bio-based additives as viable alternatives to conventional flow improvers for waxy crude oil. Further research is necessary to optimize their performance and explore their application in different crude oil systems.