Dr. Kosta J. Leontaritis, Flow Assurance Advisor

Biographical Summary:

 

Dr. Kosta J. Leontaritis, affectionately known in the Gulf of Mexico circles as Dr. Wax, is founder and CEO of AsphWax, Inc. AsphWax's objective is to provide the Oil and Gas industry with laboratory testing, simulation, and consulting services in equipment development, modeling, problem solving, and chemical applications in the area of asphaltenes, waxes, hydrates and flow assurance.

 

Dr. Leontaritis supervises the day-to-day operations of AsphWax's state-of-the-art asphaltene and wax testing laboratory, teaches advanced courses in asphaltenes, waxes, hydrates and flow assurance, and is directly involved in the marketing and licensing of AsphWax's highly advanced asphaltene and wax flow assurance multiphase simulators.

Dr. Leontaritis did his undergraduate work in Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He obtained his MS in Chemical Engineering with focus in petroleum refining from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Chicago, in Chemical Engineering. His Ph.D. thesis concerned the development of his well known Thermodynamic-Colloidal Model (T-C Model) of Asphaltene Flocculation.

 

Dr. Leontaritis' "hands-on" experience on the design, operation, and maintenance of petroleum production, processing, transportation, and refining facilities covers the entire upstream and downstream oil industry including small independents, majors, service companies, and research organizations. Dr. Leontaritis' direct "hands-on" experience with "real" field asphaltene, wax, and hydrate problems coupled with his extensive experience in modeling and simulation using Equations of State and other asphaltene and wax models, which in most cases he developed, is his greatest strength. He has worked on organic deposition problems in reservoir and production facilities all around the globe.

Professional Affiliations:

 

Dr. Leontaritis is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He has made many lectures as invited speaker in prestigious organizations. He has been serving as technical editor and symposium co-chair for professional societies and other research organizations relevant to the Petroleum Industry worldwide. He has also taught numerous courses in phase behavior, flow assurance, and asphaltene and wax deposition simulation and management.

Key Publications:

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Wax Flow Assurance Issues in Gas Condensate Multiphase Flowlines," OTC 18790, Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, U.S.A., 30 April–3 May 2007.

 

Mokhatab, S., and Wilkens, R.J., and Leontaritis, K.J., “A Review of Strategies for Solving Gas Hydrate Problems in Subsea Pipelines”, accepted for publication in Journal of Energy Sources: Part A (to be published in 2006). Reference Number: ESO 56175.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Quantification of Asphaltene and Wax Sludge Build-up in Crude Oil Storage Facilities," SPE Paper No. 92958, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, February 2-4, 2005, Houston, Texas.

 

Leontaritis, K. J. and Leontaritis, J. D., "Cloud Point and Wax Deposition Measurement Techniques," SPE Paper No. 80267, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, February 5-8, 2003, Houston, Texas.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Hydrate and Wax Formation in Subsea Satelite Wells and Flowlines," Deepwater Technology, August 2000.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Wellbore Damage by Wax Deposition in Gas-Condensate Reservoirs," World Oil, October 1999.

 

Ohen, H. A., Moreno, T., Marcano, D., Acosta, A., Mengual, R., Gil, J., Velasquez, A., Daneshjou, D., Holmgren, M., and Leontaritis, K. J., "Systematic Formation Damage Evaluation of El Furrial Field," SPE Paper No. 54722, SPE European Formation Damage Conference, The Hague, The Netherlands, 31 May - 1 June, 1999.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "The Wax Deposition Envelope of Gas Condensates," OTC Paper No. 8776, 1998 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, Texas, 4-7 May, 1998.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Asphaltene Near-wellbore Formation Damage Modeling," SPE Paper No. 39446, SPE Formation Damage Control Conference, February 18-19, 1998, Lafayette, Louisiana.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "The Asphaltene and Wax Deposition Envelope Revisited," 5th North American Chemical Congress", Synposium on Advances in the Chemistry of Asphaltenes and Related Substances, November 11-15, 1997, Cancun, Mexico.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Drilling and Completion Fluids Destabilize Asphaltenes," World Oil, November 1997.

 

Soldan, A., Campagnolo, E., and Leontaritis, K. J., "Wax Crystallization vs. Asphaltene Flocculation. Different Organic Deposition Mechanisms Supported by Analysis of Field Deposits." The Symposium on "Heavy Organic Deposition in Gas and Oil Systems," Area 16c of Fuels and Petrochemical Division, AIChE Spring National Meeting and Petroleum Exposition, Houston, Texas, March 9-13, 1997.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "PARA-Based (Paraffin-Aromatic-Resin-Asphaltene) Reservoir Oil Characterization," SPE Paper No. 37252, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, February 18-21, 1997, Houston, Texas.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Recommendations for Dealing with Asphaltene or Wax Problems in Offshore Production Facilities," Energy Week Conference and Exhibition, George R. Brown Convention, Houston, Texas, January 26 - February 2, 1996.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Wax Deposition Modeling," NACE International 1995 South Central Region Conference October 15-18, Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans, LA.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "The Asphaltene and Wax Deposition Envelopes," The Symposium on Thermodynamics of Heavy Oils and Asphaltenes, Area 16C of Fuels and Petrochemical Division, AIChE Spring National Meeting and Petroleum Exposition, Houston, Texas, March 19-23, 1995.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., Amaefule, J.O. and Charles, R.E., "A Systematic Approach for the Prevention and Treatment of Formation Damage Caused by Asphaltene Deposition," SPE Production and Facilities, August 1994, p.157.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Solubility Parameter-Its Definition and Calculation Using Two-Parameter Cubic Equations of State and the Lee-Kesler Correlation," The Symposium of Solids Deposition, Area 16C of Fuels and Petrochemical Division, AIChE Spring National Meeting and Petroleum Exposition, Houston, Texas, March 28-April 1, 1993.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Application of a Thermodynamic-Colloidal Model of Asphaltene Flocculation," The Symposium of Solids Deposition, Area 16C of Fuels and Petrochemical Division, AIChE Spring National Meeting and Petroleum Exposition, Houston, Texas, March 28-April 1, 1993.

 

Narayanan, L., Leontaritis, K. J., and Darby, R., "A Thermodynamic Model for Predicting Wax Precipitation from Crude Oils," The Symposium of Solids Deposition, Area 16C of Fuels and Petrochemical Division, AIChE Spring National Meeting and Petroleum Exposition, Houston, Texas, March 28-April 1, 1993.

 

Carnahan, N. F., Quintero, L., Pfund, D. M., Fulton, J. L., Smith, R. D., Capel, M., and Leontaritis, K. J., "A Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Study of the Effect of Pressure on the Aggregation of Asphaltene Fractions in Petroleum Fluids under Near-Critical Solvent Conditions," Langmuir Journal, Vol. 9, No. 8, 1993.

 

Leontaritis, K. J. and Mansoori, G. A., "Asphaltene Deposition. A Survey of Field Experiences and Research Approaches," International Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 1, pp. 229-239, 1989.

 

Leontaritis, K. J. and Mansoori, G. A., "Crude Oil Heavy Component Characterization Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Gel Permeation Chromatography," International Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2, pp. 1-12, 1989.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., "Asphaltene Deposition. A Comprehensive Description of Problem Manifestations and Modeling Approaches," SPE Paper No. 18892, Production Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City, OK, March 13-14, 1989.

 

Leontaritis, K. J. and Mansoori, G. A., "Asphaltene Deposition During Oil Production and Processing: A Thermodynamic Colloidal Model," SPE Paper No. 16258, SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry, February 4-6, 1987, San Antonio, TX.

 

Leontaritis, K. J., Kawanaka, S. and Mansoori, G. A., "Descriptive Accounts of Thermodynamic and Colloidal Models of Asphaltene Flocculation," The Symposium of Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Fluids, AIChE Spring National Meeting and Petroleum Exposition, Houston, Texas, March 29-April 2, 1987.

 

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