Flow behaviour of wax-stabilized emulsions- rheology, microstructure and product stability

目前，加拿大石油和天然气勘探和生产的增长发生在极端情况下，即超深水、北极环境以及寒冷（零度以下）温度和长管道常见的偏远地区。在低温下，原油中存在的蜡状化合物可能固化并存款在管道内壁上，导致吞吐量降低并可能完全堵塞。 在这些恶劣环境下开发管道需要对管道系统的可靠性和旨在避免堵塞的预防措施具有高度的确定性。 目前的研究集中在防止这一问题的新方法上，通过使用基础科学方法来了解原油中的化合物如何在管道内固化。 随着对北极和大西洋勘探的更多关注，这项研究的结果将有助于加拿大石化行业实施战略，最大限度地减少与管道堵塞相关的停机时间。

Current growth for Canadian oil and gas exploration and production is taking place in extreme situations, namely in ultra-deep water, in Arctic environments, and in remote locations where cold (sub-zero) temperatures and long pipelines are common. At low temperatures, wax-like compounds present in crude oil may solidify and deposit on the inner wall of pipelines leading to a reduction in throughput and potentially outright blockage. Pipeline development for these harsh environments requires a high degree of certainty on the reliability of the pipeline system and preventative measures designed to avoid plugging. The present research focusses on novel means of preventing this problem, by using a fundamental scientific approach to understand how compounds in crude oil solidify within pipelines. With a greater focus on Arctic and Atlantic exploration, the results of this research will aid the Canadian petrochemical industry implement strategies minimising downtime associated with pipeline blockage.