STWA deploys heating system on oil pipeline

Save The World Air, Inc., (STWA), a developer of integrated technology solutions for the energy industry, has announced that it will shortly be commencing beta testing of its STWA Joule Heat™ (SJH™) direct heating system with a large E&P entity on a gathering line for a crude oil pipeline serving the Greater Monument Butte oilfield located in the Uintah Basin of Utah.

The deployment with the largest upstream operator in the Uintah Basin will measure the efficacy of SJH technology to deliver optimal heat conductivity to crude oil for improved flow and pipeline performance. Testing and analysis of the data is expected to begin on in June, and be completed in 3Q15.

Greggory Bigger, STWA Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, commented, "The opportunity to position a commercial prototype Joule Heat unit on a major crude oil pipeline is another important milestone as we continue to move forward with our ongoing transition from R&D to commercialisation and corresponding business development initiatives. We look forward to the test results as we seek to demonstrate the operational and cost efficiencies, and positive environmental impact, our technology can deliver."

Utah is an ideal location for beta testing of SJH given the current energy climate in the state. Governor Gary Herbert's Utah Energy Initiative programme is focused on decreasing environmental impacts related to energy development and increasing efficiencies through cutting-edge technology. SJH helps to accomplish these goals, as it requires less power consumption than traditional trace heating systems to effectively heat crude, increasing the transportation rate of oil while reducing the associated carbon footprint.

Bigger continued, "Due to a variety of factors such as high viscosity, density, poor mobility and cold ambient temperatures, the use of heat is common throughout the energy sector but has traditionally been extremely inefficient and therefore costly, both from a monetary and environmental standpoint. STWA Joule Heat fills the obvious need for a highly energy-efficient heating system designed to deliver optimal crude flow rates in pipelines. SJH provides E&P entities and pipeline operators with a new class of heat treatment options that lower operational costs and promote reductions in CO2 emissions. We are proud to deploy the technology in the state of Utah, which is a leader in the green development of conventional sources of energy."

STWA Joule Heat is an electrically powered crude oil heating technology specifically developed for use on pipelines and within offloading facilities and refineries. SJH subjects feedstock to a direct and intense electric field that increases oil temperature uniformly without interrupting flow. Preliminary testing of SJH suggests efficiencies of over 60% when converting electrical energy into internal energy in oil, compared to efficiencies of ~30% typical in traditional trace heat systems. Unlike conventional trace heating, SJH is configured to deliver maximum heat conductivity by making direct contact with crude oil, providing better performance at a lower operating cost.

Bigger concluded, "The Uintah Basin deployment is promising as we look to meet continued market demand for more efficient and greener heating solutions. Test results from this installation will allow us to provide further product design refinements for additional industry applications of SJH. We believe that the ongoing development of STWA Joule Heat will open up new commercial channels and revenue streams for the Company."

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/08062015/stwa-deploys-heating-system-on-oil-pipeline/