Asphaltene Molecules in Oil (IMAGE) Rice University Caption At the right temperature and pressure, asphaltene molecules in oil moving through a pipeline will precipitate and then aggregate to form hard deposits that can clog the pipe and stop the flow. Rice University scientists have created a method to better detect asphaltenes in oil. Credit Vargas Lab/Rice University Usage Restrictions For news reporting purposes only. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.