FLO ULTIMA 91000 DRA Increased Pipeline Flow of Heavy

CASE HISTORY
| bakerhughes.com
FLO ULTIMA 91000 DRA Increased Pipeline Flow
of Heavy Canadian Crude Oil Blend by 44%
Location: US Gulf Coast
50%
70%
45%
Results
60%
Increased
50%
35%
30%
40%
25%
20%
Flow Rate
15%
Drag
30%
Drag Reduction (%)
Flow Rate Increase (%)
40%
20%
10%
10%
5%
0%
0%
Increasing Dosage
A US Gulf Coast refinery wanted to increase
the amount of heavy Canadian crude in their
feedstock. However, drag in the pipeline and
the viscous nature of the crude created a
significant decrease in the flow rate compared
to lighter crude movements, limiting the
ability to increase heavy crude throughput.
This decreased the refinery’s profitability, as
they were unable to process higher volumes
of the economically favorable heavy Canadian
crude slate.
over conventional, competitive DRAs that are
only effective in lighter crude slates.
The customer approached Baker Hughes
seeking a solution to help increase their heavy
Canadian crude throughput and reduce drag
in the pipeline. Baker Hughes recommended
FLO™ ULTIMA 91000 drag reducing agent
(DRA), a chemistry specifically engineered to
improve the flow rate of heavy oil through
pipelines. This product is unique in that the
long chain polymer is specifically designed
to dissolve in asphaltenic crudes with an API
gravity of less than 23, providing an advantage
As a result, the refinery was able to transport
the heavy Canadian crude much more
efficiently, increasing the amount of crude
they could process. And in turn, they were
able to increase their profitability through a
much faster speed to market using the
FLO ULTIMA 91000 DRA.
The refinery agreed to trial the new heavy oil
DRA using Baker Hughes injection equipment
in the transfer pipeline to the refinery.
FLO ULTIMA 91000 DRA was injected into the
pipeline at different dosage rates to optimize
the flow rate of the pipeline. Results from the
trial showed a 44% increase in the flow rate,
and a 62.5% reduction in drag.
heavy crude throughput
in pipeline by 44%
Reduced
Challenges
Multiple
crude feedstocks were
being transferred through a
6.9 mile pipeline into the refinery
Refinery
desired a larger proportion
of heavy oil in their crude slate,
but was limited by the reduced
flow capability of heavy oil in the
fungible system
Refinery
was forced to process a
lighter, more costly crude slate,
creating a lost profit opportunity
Baker Hughes solution
FLO
ULTIMA 91000 DRA designed
specifically for heavy oil transport
This case history is presented for
illustration purposes only, as results may
vary between applications.
FLO is a trademark of Baker Hughes Incorporated.
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© 2014 Baker Hughes Incorporated. All rights reserved. 41749 08/2014
drag in pipeline by 62.5%

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