treatments for removing asphaltene include: Solvents Dispersants/solvents Oil/dispersants/solvents The dispersant/solvent approach is used for removing asphaltenes from formation minerals. Continuous treating may be required to inhibit asphaltene deposition in the tubing. Batch treatments are common for dehydration equipment and tank bottoms. There are also asphaltene precipitation inhibitors that can be used by continuous treatment or squeeze treatments. See also Tholin References External links An in-depth article on asphaltenes from OilfieldWiki.com, the oilfield encyclopedia Article regarding asphaltene fouling by Irwin A. Wiehe Asphaltene Aggregation from Crude Oils and Model Systems Studied by High-Pressure NIR Spectroscopy (Source : American Chemical Society) A comprehensive website about asphaltene and its role in petroleum fouling by Prof. GA Mansoori at the Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Petroleum production Asphalt