Working smarter at Heroya

By Beate Schjolberg

 13 April 2012 01:32 GMT

THE Heroya flow loop facility is now in the middle of a three-to four-month test of the heavy crude from Statoil-operated Peregrino field off Brazil, writes Beate Schjolberg

The extremely heavy Peregrino oil has a viscosity of 10,000 cPs at room temperature. By comparison, water has a viscosity of one cPs, while easy-flowing syrup has about 200 cPs.

The oil can be made to flow easier by heating, but it will cool and thicken again in a pipeline, making transporting it energy-intensive and expensive.

Peregrino oil needs to be mixed with at least 70% water to become liquid enough to be transported through a pipeline on the sea floor.

“Pipes and other equipment are often not made for this type of oil,…

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