Mitigation of Asphaltene Deposit Formation via Chemical Additives: A Review

The deposition of asphaltenes in the petroleum industry has been found to be a significant factor affecting the profitability of petroleum production and refining. For this reason, many efforts have been made to clarify the mechanism of deposition formation and to find measures to reduce its harmful impact on the efficiency of oil production and refining. Recent reports on the mechanism of deposit formation by asphaltenes suggest that it is a phase transition phenomenon. Many studies have shown that this process can be slowed by using chemical inhibitors. Different classes of chemical substances (non-polymeric, organic compounds, polymers, ionic liquids and nanomaterials) have been found to be capable of inhibiting asphaltene precipitation. This paper presents a comprehensive review of asphaltene deposition research and makes an attempt to decipher the convoluted asphaltene deposition phenomena and relate the chemistry of asphaltene inhibitors to the nature of treated petroleum oils. The choice of appropriate additives to mitigate asphaltene deposition in commercial oil and gas facilities requires comprehensive knowledge of chemistry of oils, asphaltenes, and the chemical substances, along with the appropriate laboratory techniques that best mimic the commercial operation conditions.