The 3rd International Conference on Petroleum Phase Behavior and Fouling

AIChE Spring National Meeting

New Orleans, Louisiana, March 10-14, 2002

 organized by

AIChE Division of Fuels & Petrochemicals, Area 16a

 and Engineering Sciences & Fundamentals, Area 1a

Submit an abstract or two and join us for five days in the middle of the French Quarter of New Orleans for lively discussions of recent advances in petroleum phase behavior, for interacting with new acquaintances and old friends, and for having fun.  This ever expanding International Conference started in 1995 as three sessions on asphaltenes, added two sessions each on wax and on petroleum-water emulsions in 1997, became the first Conference in 1999 in Houston and added sessions on fouling mitigation and one short course, and moved to Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000 as the second Conference while adding a poster session.  Now, in 2002 this well-established Conference returns to North America and adds a session on the characterization of petroleum macromolecules with two short courses.  This Conference provides a forum for the interchange of ideas, problems, and findings in the phase behavior of petroleum among industrial and academic researchers, both in refining and in production.   Topics include the formation and mitigation of organic solid phases such as asphaltenes, waxes, diamondoids, and coke.  Also problems related to the presence of water and hydrocarbons, namely gas hydrates and emulsions, will be discussed.

Submit Abstract to www.aiche.org /docs/meeting/spring2002 between June 15 and Sept. 1, 2001.

Send a short paper (3-6 pages) for Proceedings (Required) to Session Chair by Dec. 15, 2001.

                                     Sessions

 5^th International Symposium on Thermodynamics of Heavy Oils and Asphaltenes

The deposition of insoluble asphaltenes from petroleum is known to plug production wells, foul heat exchangers, fractionators, and resid conversion reactors and to cause coke formation.  Therefore, the objective of this Symposium is to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas, problems, and findings in the phase behavior of asphaltenes and heavy oils.  Topics of interest include the self-association of asphaltenes; the role of resins in asphaltene dispersion; solution thermodynamics, equation of state, and colloidal theories of asphaltene solubility; asphaltene deposition; deasphalting; and the role of phase equilibria in coke and sediment formation.

            4^th International Symposium on Wax Thermodynamics and Deposition

Papers are solicited on topics ranging from improved analysis of waxes in petroleum fluids, to fundamental mechanism studies of wax precipitation and deposition, to modeling wax deposition in petroleum production, to methods for managing wax deposition in the production, processing, and products of petroleum.  Examples of topics of interest include:

Analysis: improved analysis of waxes (n-alkane, i-alkane, and other) in petroleum fluids

Mechanism Studies: crystal growth & modification, influences on deposition (shear, multiphase flow, etc.), and deposit growth (aging, hardening, sloughing, etc.)

Modeling:  phase equilibrium and deposition (diffusion, mass transfer, & other approaches)

Deposition Testing: benchtop methods, flow-loop, and monitored flowline histories

Prevention Methods: chemical inhibitors, chemical dispersants, coatings, insulation, & heating

Remediation Methods: pigging, dispersants, cutting, and thermochemical treatments

4^th Int’l Symposium on the Chemistry and Physics of Petroleum – Water Emulsions

Petroleum and water are commonly separated because brine and petroleum often coexist in reservoirs, because water is added to separate brine from petroleum in desalters, and because steam is used as an inert gas in refining.  Unfortunately, when stable petroleum – water emulsions are formed, these separation processes are difficult or impossible.  Therefore, this session is devoted to elucidating the fundamental causes of petroleum – water emulsions in order to suggest methods to prevent their formation.

1^st International Symposium on Characterization of Petroleum Macromolecules

Petroleum macromolecules are particularly difficult to characterize.   There are millions of different molecules without a repeating group, some of which tend to associate.  Nevertheless, to understand petroleum phase behavior, one needs to express how the phase separation divides up the petroleum macromolecules into the different phases.   Thus, this session provides a forum to discuss the latest characterization tools and their ability to describe the distribution (or average) of molecular sizes and types in a sample of petroleum.

3^rd Int’l Symposium on Mechanisms and Mitigation of Fouling in Refining and Upgrading