Electrophysical Apparatus for Intensifying the Production of High-Viscosity Oils

The production of heavy high-viscosity oils is associated with the formation of asphalt-resin-paraffin deposits in the pipelines of the wells, which leads to a rapid decrease in their flow rate. Currently, a variety of mechanical, chemical, thermal and combined sediment removal tools are used in oilfield practice. Nevertheless, there remains a request for the search for new technological solutions that would allow environmentally sound removal of deposits without interruptions in the process of oil production with minimal energy and labor. This article reports on the first results of developing a new technology for removing deposits from well pipes, which is based on their non-contact local induction heating. At the contact point of the deposits with the heated section of the pipe, their partial melting occurs, as a result of which the bulk of the deposits in the form of large fragments is removed together with the oil flow. The inductor moves slowly along the axis of the well, receiving a high-frequency current from a nearby immersed energy converter.