Transient Simulation to Analyze Wax Deposition and Flow Pattern Behavior Along Tubing Under Esp Installation and Gassy Well Condition

Brian Tony; Steven Chandra; Rafael J.S. Purba; Muhammad Fadhlan Solihan; Ega Dimas Saputra

doi:10.29017/scog.v48i3.1731

Authors

Brian Tony Petroleum Engineering Department, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran“ Yogyakarta https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0563-4750
Steven Chandra Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Rafael J.S. Purba Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Muhammad Fadhlan Solihan Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Ega Dimas Saputra Petroleum Engineering Department, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran“ Yogyakarta Sleman, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29017/scog.v48i3.1731

Keywords:

ESP, wax deposition, flow pattern, gassy well, stage

Abstract

Wax deposition is a common phenomenon that restricts flow in tubing, causing production decline. In the studied well, this decline is linked to wax thickness increasing from 0.0021 inches (Day 1) to 0.0114 inches (Day 7), occurring as fluid temperatures drop below 153.5°F. An Electrical Submersible Pump (ESP) is used to address this, but it impacts thermal conditions and flow behavior, especially in gassy wells. Therefore, a transient simulation is required to analyze wax deposition and flow behavior under ESP installation. This study performs a 7-day transient simulation using OLGA 2022.1.0 on the "X" well, a gassy well (700 scf/bbl GOR) with 38% wax content, utilizing a 70-stage DN610 ESP. Results show wax deposition begins on Day 1 (max 0.0021 inches) and thickens to 0.0114 inches by Day 7. Flow patterns vary along the tubing: stratified flow is dominant from the pump setting depth to KOP, while slug flow dominates from KOP to the tubing head. Annular flow was observed at the tubing head on several days. Sensitivity analysis revealed that more ESP stages result in more wax deposition. This is because the ESP increases the production rate; as more oil flows, more contained wax precipitates and deposits. The least wax was observed in the scenario with no ESP. This work demonstrates how ESP-induced liquid holdup and slug/annular transitions accelerate wax deposition and emphasizes the importance of transient simulation in predicting production risks.

References

Ali, S. I., Lalji, S. M., Haneef, J., Khan, M. A., Yousufi, M., Yousaf, N., & Saboor, A. (2022). Phenomena, factors of wax deposition and its management strategies. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 15(2), 133.

Clegg, J. D., Bucaram, S. M., & Hein Jr, N. W. (1993). Recommendations and Comparisons for Selecting Artificial-Lift Methods (includes associated papers 28645 and 29092). Journal of Petroleum Technology, 45(12), 1128-1167.

Kurniawan, D. H. (2024). Redesain Electric Submersible Pump (Esp) pada Sumur yang Mengandung Gas “W- 30” Lapangan “A”. Lembaran publikasi minyak dan gas bumi, 58(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.29017/LPMGB.58.1.1610

Elarbe, B., Elganidi, I., Ridzuan, N., Abdullah, N., & Yusoh, K. (2021). Paraffin wax deposition and its remediation methods on crude oil pipelines: A systematic review. Maejo International Journal of Energy and Environmental Communication, 3(3), 6-34.

Gong, J., Zhang, Y., Liao, L., Duan, J., Wang, P., & Zhou, J. (2011). Wax deposition in the oil/gas two-phase flow for a horizontal pipe. Energy & Fuels, 25(4), 1624-1632.

Guo, B., Liu, X., & Tan, X. (2017). “Acidizing,” Petroleum Production Engineering.

Hao, L. Z., Al-Salim, H. S., & Ridzuan, N. (2019). A Review of the Mechanism and Role of Wax Inhibitors in the Wax Deposition and Precipitation. Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 27(1).

Hasan, A. R., Kabir, C. S., & Sayarpour, M. (2007, November). A basic approach to wellbore two-phase flow modeling. In SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition? (pp. SPE-109868). SPE.

Wen, J., Lu, Y., Jia, Y., Luo, H., You, C., Huang, Z., ... & Luo, Y. (2025). Progress on Wax Deposition Characteristics and Prediction Methods for Crude Oil Pipelines. Processes, 13(6), 1651.

Kelland, M. A. (2016). Production chemicals for the oil and gas industry. CRC press.

Nguyen, T. (2020). Artificial lift methods: design, practices, and applications. Springer Nature.

Makwashi, N., Zhao, D., Wang, B., Abdulkadir, M., & Garba, M. U. (2025). New insights into wax deposition challenges: Experimental investigation across varied pipeline curvatures. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 163, 111400.

Schlumberger, O. L. G. A. (2014). Dynamic multiphase flow simulator.

Notonegoro, K., Setiati, R., & Mardiana, D. A. (2025). Analysis On Linkage And Multiplier Effects Of Upstream Oil And Gas Sector In Indonesia's Economy Using Input-Output Method. Scientific Contributions Oil and Gas, 48(1), 207-216. https://doi.org/10.29017/scog.v48i1.1700

Prosper. (2018). User Manual. Petroleum Experts Ltd.

Schlumberger. (2000). Gas Lift Design and Technology. Chevron Main Pass 313 Optimization Project.

Schlumberger. (2015). Oilfield Review, 25(1).

Shoham, O. (2006). Mechanistic modeling of gas-liquid two-phase flow in pipes. (No Title).

Sousa, A. L., Matos, H. A., & Guerreiro, L. P. (2019). Preventing and removing wax deposition inside vertical wells: a review. Journal of petroleum exploration and production technology, 9(3), 2091-2107.

Takacs, G. (2017). Electrical submersible pumps manual: design, operations, and maintenance. Gulf professional publishing.

Theyab, M. A., & Yahya, S. Y. (2018). Introduction to wax deposition. Int J Petrochem Res, 2(1), 126-131.

Pasarai, U. (2014). Practical Method For Assessing Reservoir Performance To Revive Closed Oil Wells. Scientific Contributions Oil And Gas, 37(3), 161-174. https://doi.org/10.29017/SCOG.37.3.637

Yudin, E., Piotrovskiy, G., Smirnov, N., Bayrachnyi, D., Petrushin, M., Isaeva, S., & Yudin, P. (2022, November). Modeling and Optimization of ESP Wells Operating in Intermittent Mode. In SPE Annual Caspian Technical Conference (p. D021S012R001). SPE.