Hello All,
My name is Betty Turowec, a chemical engineer working in research and development for 3M.
I have some basic questions for you folks, but with your help, it should guide me in the right direction.
I am working on a product that decreases ΔP across a pipeline (via friction reduction), allowing for smoother transportation of heavy crude/bitumen, without the need of heating or dilution. The thin-film works by lubricating the flow, which also prevents deposition/build-up of asphaltenes, wax or oil. It is extremely easy to apply – simply flushing through the pipeline and contacting the surface is sufficient – which is owed to being a water-based product. We have obtained some 3rd party testing results (on a heavy crude emulsion acquired via EOR), showing a noticeable decrease in ΔP across a 1/8” pipeline.
I'm just wondering what types of pipelines would benefit from this product the most (gathering, feeder, transmission)? In addition, I would like to obtain more data about the pipelines that would benefit – inner diameter, pressure drop between pumping stations, temperatures, compositions of heavy crude being transported, etc. Once I have a better understanding of system characteristics within the field, it will allow me to better understand flow assurance pain points. I can then hone in on data that addresses the specific pain points.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Betty
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Betty Turowec
Advanced Application and Development Engineer
3M Canada Company
Calgary Alberta
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