Further development of surface-plasmon-resonance sensors for on-site detection of wax deposition from crude oils

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This proposal requests funding to extend a collaborative Engage project between Dr. Chau at UBC and Dr. Sieben at Schlumberger DBR Technology Center (based in Edmonton AB) to develop optical sensors for detecting wax deposition from crude oils. Crude oils contain waxes that are soluble in the oil liquid phase at reservoir conditions. When the crude oil temperature drops, the high-molecular-weight waxes become less soluble in the liquid and dissolved wax molecules tend to crystallize and form solid particles. Wax deposition is a major problem during oil production, transportation, and processing, causing complications such as reduced oil extraction from the reservoir, clogging of pipelines and well-bores, adsorption onto refining equipment and plugging during storage. Over the past six months, Dr. Chau and Dr. Sieben have successfully designed, built, and characterized a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical sensor to detect phase changes in pure component mixtures and wax deposition from crude oils. Schlumberger is currently filing a patent on the technology developed at this point, and there is interest in continued development to increase the sophistication of the measurement. There are two goals of this Engage Plus project. The first goal is to modify the sensor to measure the SPR signal at multiple wavelengths spanning from 400 nm to 1600 nm. It is believed that SPR data at additional wavelengths will enable estimation of the thickness of wax deposition, an important parameter that generally difficult to measure by non-non-invasive methods. The second goal is to construct a prototype high-temperature, high-pressure SPR sensor to determine whether SPR can be performed under down-hole conditions. These tests will be performed at the specialized testing facilities at Schlumberger. Overall, this Engage Plus project will provide valuable information to assess the commercialization potential of SPR sensor technology for detection of wax deposition from crude oils.