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Press Release

GE Upgrades ProSolv* Wax Inhibitor for Improved Flow Assurance

April 27, 2017
  • New Offering is Highly Concentrated and Winterized for Harsh Environments
  • GE’s Upgraded Wax Inhibiting Chemistry is Cost-Effective and Reduces the Pour Point of Waxy Crude 

 

TREVOSE, PA.-April 27, 2017-GE today announced an upgrade to its ProSolv* WI8581 Wax Inhibitor for onshore and offshore oil and gas production. Wax inhibitors help oil and gas producers ensure an uninterrupted flow of crude oil. GE’s upgraded product is highly concentrated and winterized, which makes it extremely efficient and cost-effective.

GE’s ProSolv WI8581 Wax Inhibitor is highly effective in reducing the pour point of waxy crude, which reduces wax deposits and helps diminish the need for heat-insulated lines and pigging. It is winterized to less than minus 40 degrees in both Celsius and Fahrenheit so that it can be applied during temperature extremes and has pumpability during harsh winter environments without any special handling or containment. The upgraded wax inhibitor is highly concentrated and reduces the chemical storage footprint and minimizes logistical issues.

“Wax is a valuable component of crude oil and to improve flow assurance, wax needs to remain in solution and get to the refinery. The oil and gas industry has been challenged for years to find an effective technology to control wax while at the same time being reasonably priced. GE’s ProSolv WI8581 Wax Inhibitor is highly concentrated, winterized and a non-aromatic solvent based carrier fluid,” said Amy Ericson, global leader, chemical and monitoring solutions-GE Water & Process Technologies. “It will improve production and flow assurance and protect pipelines.”

The upgraded wax inhibitor is a non-aromatic solvent based carrier fluid. The reduction in solvents is safer and has no volatile organic compounds. GE’s ProSolv WI8581 Wax Inhibitor is a microdispersion, which allows it to be concentrated for easier handling.

First introduced in 2016, GE’s ProSolv Wax Inhibitor provides a consistent flow of hydrocarbon streams from the reservoir to the point of sale. GE’s chemistry for wax blockages is an economical alternative to currently available technologies. It is based on characterization of the production fluids and environment and works in a variety of waxy crudes. It also significantly reduces the precipitation and deposition of wax at temperatures below the untreated wax appearance temperature decreasing the need for costly workovers and pigging to remove solid wax deposits.

In the oil and gas industry, deep water fields with long step outs and surface pipelines in exposed locations have been experiencing operational issues related to the deposition of wax, which increases pressure drop, reduces production rate, increases pumping costs and results in downtime for pigging and cleaning operations. Currently available technologies for wax inhibition include hot oil, direct electrical heating and pipe-in-pipe dry insulation all of which add to the complexity and cost of the subsea system. However, GE’s ProSolv wax inhibitor is a cost-effective alternative that reduces capital and installation costs and improves return on investment.

GE is a leader in the oil and gas production, refining and hydrocarbon processing industries, helping to minimize corrosion, reduce fouling, save energy, reuse water and minimize downtime.

About Water & Process Technologies

With operations in 130 countries and employing over 7,500 people worldwide, GE Water & Process Technologies applies its innovations, expertise and global capabilities to solve customers’ toughest water and process challenges. It offers a comprehensive set of chemical and equipment solutions, as well as predictive analytics, to enhance water, wastewater and process productivity. Water & Process Technologies strives to enable customers to meet increasing demands for clean water, overcome scarcity challenges, strengthen environmental stewardship and comply with regulatory requirements.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.ge.com

* Trademark of General Electric Company; may be registered in one or more countries.

Beth Coffman
Soteryx Corporation
[email protected]
+1 518 886 1076


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