Surface · Flow Assurance
Hot Oiling
Oil heated at surface and pumped from a truck into the well or the flowline to melt and carry away paraffin.
What it does
In wells it is usually pumped down the casing and up the tubing. Enough volume is needed so the oil is still hot at depth, and melted wax pushed into the formation can damage permeability. Hot water with surfactant is an alternative.
Basics
| Well path | Down the casing, up the tubing |
| Also used on | Flowlines and tanks |
| Risk | Formation damage from melted wax |
| Alternative | Hot water with surfactant |
Common failures
- Treatment too small, so wax only moves and sets again further down
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Wax returns within days of a hot oil job
- Likely cause
- Not enough heat at depth or no inhibitor follow up
- What to check
- Increase volume and temperature, add a wax inhibitor program