Gas Hydrates, Wax & Asphaltenes
About the course
Course duration: 3 days
Flow assurance is the discipline concerned with the economic and reliable production and transportation of oil, gas, and formation water from the reservoir to the delivery point throughout the entire life of a field, under all operating and environmental conditions.
Operational challenges such as deposition and system blockages can disrupt production, resulting in unplanned shutdowns and increased operating costs. These issues commonly arise due to gas hydrate formation, paraffin (wax), and asphaltene deposition.
An effective flow assurance strategy must consider both fluid properties and operating conditions and requires a multidisciplinary approach involving production, maintenance, engineering, laboratory analysis, and health, safety, and environmental (HSE) functions, with a strong focus on prevention as well as remediation.
Designed for
This course is particularly tailored for petroleum production engineers, laboratory personnel, field operators, system designers, and professionals seeking practical experience in flow assurance, including researchers or managers who want to understand technical issues that support effective decision-making.
Course objectives
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of gas hydrate formation, paraffin (wax), and asphaltene deposition
- Identify existing and potential threats to uninterrupted fluid flow
- Design cost-effective, efficient, and reliable mitigation strategies that maintain production targets and extend equipment service life
- Define industry-relevant KPIs for hydrate formation, paraffin (wax), and asphaltene deposition
Course content
Day 1 – Flow Assurance & Gas Hydrates
Introduction to Flow Assurance
This session provides an overview of flow assurance, addressing the impact of organic and inorganic deposition, emulsion formation, and corrosion within oil, gas, and formation water systems during production, gathering, treatment, and transportation.
Gas Hydrates
The session begins with the fundamentals of gas hydrates, including their composition, formation conditions, and prediction methods. Participants will learn prevention strategies, such as: physical methods: water removal, temperature maintenance, pressure control; and chemical methods: thermodynamic inhibitors (e.g., methanol, MEG), with practical exercises for calculating required dosages, as well as kinetic inhibitors and anti-agglomerants. Relevant case studies will be included.
Day 2 – Asphaltene Deposition
Participants will explore the characteristics, molecular structure, and physical-chemical properties of asphaltenes. The session will cover laboratory methods for determining asphaltene content, phase behavior and asphaltenes stability, as well as techniques for predicting their deposition. Emphasis will be placed on key precipitation factors and the design of effective prevention and remediation strategies. Several case studies will be presented. The day concludes with the development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the effectiveness of asphaltene mitigation efforts.
Day 3 – Wax (Paraffin) Deposition
This lecture focuses on the mechanisms and conditions that drive wax precipitation and the operational challenges it causes. Participants will become familiar with diagnostic tests, monitoring strategies, and remediation techniques, along with modeling approaches used to predict deposition. Case studies will highlight real-world examples. The session will close with the formulation of KPIs for evaluating paraffin control strategies.
Course delivery method
The course consists of lectures supported by worked examples and case studies. Participants are encouraged to bring their own examples for in-class discussion and analysis.
Instructor
Snežana Šević holds a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from the Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, and has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Her expertise includes diagnosing issues arising from produced fluid properties, conducting risk analyses, and developing flow assurance management programs for fluid production, gathering, treatment, and transportation.
She has worked with PM Lucas d.o.o., NIS–Gazprom Neft, and Qimica Apollo (Mexico) and has participated in more than 50 projects across Serbia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Dr. Šević has authored over 30 scientific and technical papers, a book titled The Impact of Formation Water on Oil and Gas Production and Transportation, and has supervised numerous undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral theses. She was an SPE Distinguished Lecturer (2018–2019) and part of the SPE E-Mentoring Program for five years.