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FI Series™ Flow Improvers
OCT's flow improvers use a patent pending process specifically
designed for transporting heavy crude oil in the pipeline.
The FI Series™ is unique, effective, and different
from traditional paraffin inhibitors or flow improvers.
It allows the crude oil to be mixed with water downhole
or at the wellhead, creating a low viscosity pseudo-emulsion
that is easily transported through the pipeline. The
pseudo-emulsion is readily separated under static conditions,
and in most cases, additional demulsifiers are not required
at the treating station. This reduces the treating cost
and efficiency.
Advantages:
Easy to Use: The flow improvers can be gravity fed
downhole through the annulus.
The FI Series™ when added to water and crude oil
acts in several ways to improve the flow characteristics
of the oil. At moderate and high temperatures (above
~20°C) the flow improver helps reduce the viscosity
of the crude oil by lowering the interfacial tension
(IFT) between the water and oil to allow the two phases
to mix without forming a true emulsion. This pseudo-emulsion
has a viscosity much less than the crude oil itself
because the oil is broken into minute droplets uniformly
dispersed within the water. Because no true emulsions
are formed, the two phases can be easily separated at
the end of the process. The elapsed time before the
two phases separate can be controlled by careful selection
of the proper flow improver from the
™. The table below shows the effect of the addition
of various amounts of water and FI-64™ on the time
required for the oil and water to separate and on the
time it takes for the oil to setup and become non-flowable
at 25°C.
| Test |
Additive |
Setup Time, Minutes |
Water Break Time, Minutes |
% Water Recovered |
| 1 |
none |
1.5 |
- |
- |
| 2 |
10% water |
1.5 |
<0.5 |
97 |
| 3 |
FI-64™ 50ppm
10% water
|
18 |
32 |
96 |
| 4 |
FI-64™ 200ppm
10% water |
45 |
72 |
95 |
| 5 |
FI-64™ 50ppm
30% water |
24 |
35 |
97 |
When the temperature drops below ~ 20°C the oil
may solidify. This temperature will vary depending on
the composition of the crude oil. If the flow improver
is not present the oil will normally stop flowing and
plug the pipeline. When flow improver along with water
is added downhole and is present in the produced fluid
the water and oil will separate at low temperatures.
The oil will not wet the surface of the pipeline therefore
allowing only water to contact its inner surface. A
cylinder of water is formed between the suspended oil
mass and the inner wall that provides the oil with almost
frictionless flow through the pipeline.
In addition to their function as flow improvers the
FI Series™ may also function as demulsifiers since
they discourage the formation of true emulsions.
The FI Series™ of flow improvers are designed
to be used at levels of 50-5000 ppm with 0-50% water.
Specific products and recommended treatment rates can
be suggested after providing ICT with samples of crude
oil and a description of field conditions including
temperature variations, water content of the crude and
brine composition.
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