Eagle Ford: upgraded AOT™ viscosity reduction system

QS Energy Inc. has announced that an upgraded AOT™ (Applied Oil Technology) viscosity reduction system will be re-installed on a major crude and condensate pipeline serving the Eagle Ford in South Texas. The AOT unit has been extensively retrofitted specifically to reduce viscosity of ultra-light crude while mitigating scaling and sludge buildup, both costly impediments to normal pipeline operation. The Eagle Ford Formation is the most active shale play in the world and is estimated by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to have proved reserves of approximately 4.1 billion bbls of recoverable oil.

AOT is a patent-protected hardware system capable of reducing the viscosity of a wide spectrum of grades of crude oil while in transit. It was developed in partnership with Temple University.

"The opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of this newly modified AOT system on a line that moves the bulk of the condensate from Eagle Ford to processing facilities in the Port of Houston puts our technology directly in the crosshairs of two of the most important trends impacting the U.S. energy industry - the challenge of transporting the enormous volume of upstream condensate, and the ongoing drive to reduce pipeline operating and maintenance overhead in the face of low spot prices and tight profit margins," said Greggory M. Bigger, QS Energy CEO and Chairman.

"By re-engineering AOT specifically for the unique characteristics of ultra-light lease condensate, we intend to demonstrate to the industry the quantifiable operational and cost efficiencies our technology can bring to the fastest growing category of crude oil today," Mr. Bigger added.

Despite commodity markets currently being mired in a supply surplus, Mr. Bigger believes that upstream producers see a promising future for condensate.

Edited from press release by Angharad Lock

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/10022016/eagle-ford-upgraded-aot-viscosity-reduction-system-527/