Paraffin Control

Photo of 4" LKC Paraffin Control System install on a pipeline.
4" LKC Paraffin Control System installed on a 4.7 mile pipeline. Operator eliminated chemicals, disposal and maintenance, and reduced paraffin to a trace.

A major problem in oil extraction and line transporting is the buildup of paraffin, restricting the flow. Production volumes are based on the amount of flow achieved through any given pipeline in a given amount of time. Hot oil, pigging and chemicals have been the accepted means of controlling paraffin deposition in the past. Now Ener-Tec introduces the Petro-Flow Electromagnetic Fluid Stabilization System which stabilizes the oil, keeping the paraffin in solution.

Since the development of the system we have observed the following additional benefits:

  • Reduce or eliminate the need for chemicals and greatly reduce cleaning and downtime of oil pipelines and pumps.
  • Increase the amount of barrels pumped per day (reports of an additional 60 BPD!!!)
  • No inline obstructions from unit!
  • Increases water/oil separation to less than .5% in most installations.
  • Meets all EPA requirements!
  • Self monitoring and requires no maintenance.
  • UL & CSA approved!
  • Increase work safety records by eliminating the need to handle and store dangerous chemicals.
  • 1 year performance guarantee.
  • 5 year product guarantee.

The LKC system is also being used in oil/water separation eliminating the demulsifier previously used. One customer was spending $5,500.00 a year on demulsifiers before replacing it with the LKC system. They were getting 8% water carry over in the oil before LKC was installed. Now they have a .4% carry over after activating the LKC.

The LKC lowers the energy and surface tension that bonds the water and oil atoms/molecules to each other allowing a more efficient separation.

Principles of Operation

An LKC works on a basic electrical principal. In short, what it does is polarize the mineral molecules in your water as dipoles. Think of the molecules as magnets each with a north and south pole. We have all tried to push magnets together and found that a north and south pole attract each other. If two molecules of paraffin (for example) are polarized by an LKC then the south pole of one will attach itself to the north pole of the other. With a long chain of aligned molecules, they are unable to attach themselves to the walls of your pipe (creating paraffin buildup). They remain in suspension and buildup is eliminated.

Image of the direction of flow and the direction of the LKC electromagnetic field aligning the molecules of the water.
Figure 1A. The molecules as they appear at random and clinging to the sides under normal conditions in untreated oil. Figure 1B. The path of the flux field. This force creates the proper energy to polarize the molecules within the oil system. Figure 1C. The molecules after they have been treated with the Ener-Tec LKC system. The internal forces orient the positive and negative poles in such a way as to produce a molecular chain, resulting in a polarization of the molecules the entire length of the carbon steel tube, upstream as well as downstream.

LKC Paraffin Control Case Studies, News, & Media

Meets EPA Requirements

The LKC System does not require chemicals and meets EPA requirements.

UL & CSA Approved

The LKC System is UL & CSA approved and available in explosion-proof systems to meet all electrical codes.

Oil Chemistry

API Gravity, pour point, cloud point, and temperatures are not factors in the operation of the equipment.

Labor

The LKC System greatly reduces man hours by eliminating chemicals, pigging, and/or hot oil to prevent the deposition of paraffin. The LKC System is self monitoring and requires no maintenance.

Availability

Paraffin Control Systems are available for any oil application and can meet any restrictions (i.e.. Explosion proof, etc.) put on installation sites. Many sizes are in stock and ready for immediate shipment. Those that are not in stock will generally have approximately a one week shipment time.

Safety

Safety is the most feared part of using chemical treatment in water systems. There have been many cases of severely burned hands, arms, and faces of persons handling chemicals.

The LKC System requires no chemicals.

Space

The LKC System requires little room for installation since the entire cell is placed directly into the pipe line, requiring only electrical service.

Continuous Treatment

The LKC system operates automatically, 24 hours a day with no assistance or monitoring.

Expenditure

You can normally own an LKC System for less than it costs to operate a hot oil, pigging and chemical treatment system for one year. In some cases there have even been reports of payback as low as a couple weeks.

OEM Services

Ener-Tec, Inc. maintains a qualified engineering staff experienced in assisting Original Equipment Manufacturers with their problems in solving their paraffin control problems. Design, prototype and testing is offered to determine the feasibility of the Linear Kinetic Cell use in conjunction with the OEM equipment.

Companies Trust Ener-Tec to Keep Their Pipelines Flowing

  • Trojan Pipeline
  • Diamond Shamrock
  • Baruch & Foster
  • Hadson Oil Co.
  • TMR Exploration
  • Transpetco
  • Navajo Pipeline
  • Eott Pipeline
  • Four Corners
  • Pride Pipeline
  • Equilon Pipeline
  • Plains All American
  • Conoco Phillips
  • Texaco Pipeline
  • and many others!
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