Investigating the Effect of Varying Tubing Air Concentration during the Descaling of Petroleum Production Tubing using Multiple High-Pressure Nozzles

Despite the continued research effort on erosion behaviour of multiple flat fan nozzles in removing different types of scale deposits from petroleum production tubing, effect of chamber air concentration and nozzles configuration is yet to be given detail consideration. This study, therefore, considers the utilization of multiple high-pressure sprays at different chamber air concentration to enhance the rate of scale removal from petroleum production tubing. Additionally, options of altering chamber air/water ratio and header configurations for more effective scale removal were explored. So also, the relationship of nozzle header arrangement towards the removal of paraffin of different stages of deposition in petroleum production tubing have been studied. Consequently, theselection of chamber air concentration and header configuration (nozzles arrangement) for effective scale removal was found to be governed by the shape and type of the scale deposit. More so, the descaling capacity increases with decrease in number of nozzlesdue to pressure drop effect irrespective of the type or shape of the scale deposit. This novel descaling experiment of utilising 10 MPa injection pressure from 25 mm jetting position averagely removes hollow paraffin deposits that ranges from 44 to 280 g and 34 to 89g of solid shaped paraffin as a result of altering nozzles configuration. Correspondingly, an average removal difference ranging from 48 to 270 g of hollow shaped and 35 to 218 g of solid shaped paraffin depositwas recorded as a result of compressing the chamber pressure by 0.2 MPa and subsequently suctioning it by -0.008 MPa respectively.