Publications

EMP Malacca Strait S.A. in 2010 installed a 3-1/2” x 1200 m pipeline from onshore Well-1 to an offshore platform to deliver 1500 BFPD with a high water cut. A well intervention program was conducted in September 2012 to drain a shallow sand that produced 508 BFPD initial flow rate at 34% water cut. In response to this low fluid rate and low water-cut, wax mitigation was carried out with paraffin solvent injection near the wellhead. In April 2013, pressure spikes were noted at the flowline discharge, which were rapidly followed by a fully blocked pipeline. This paper will describe a wax blockage removal technique using the modified micro-annular pressure-pulse (MAPP) technique in a subsea pipeline. MAPP is very effective for removing long wax plugs in subsea pipelines, using no special equipment or chemicals, and without damaging the pipeline.