A saturated hydrocarbon compound belonging to the alkane series, characterized by single carbon-carbon bonds. In petroleum geology and extraction, paraffins are a major component of crude oil. High-molecular-weight paraffins can precipitate out of the oil as wax when temperatures drop during extraction, causing severe flow assurance problems by clogging wellbores and pipelines.
Heard on the job
The crude from this well has a high wax content, so we need to inject inhibitors to stop paraffin buildup in the tubing.