EBD TECHNOLOGY FOR OIL WELLS, PIPELINES, AND SURFACE FACILITIES
Sustainable Solutions to Decrease Sludge, Drag, Oil Viscosity, and Corrosion
- Where demonstrated, reduction and control of scale, sludge, asphaltene, and paraffin-wax buildup.
- Where measured, reduction in apparent crude-oil viscosity.
- Potential reduction in corrosion-related fouling and associated support for longer equipment service life where relevant corrosive species or electrochemical conditions are measurably improved.
- Potential reduction in pumping energy where EBD treatment measurably reduces apparent viscosity and/or hydraulic pressure loss.
- Potential increase in oil throughput at a given pumping condition where hydraulic resistance is measurably reduced.
- Potential reduction in operating and maintenance costs where measured EBD performance reduces pumping, heating, chemical-treatment, cleaning, or deposit-management requirements.
- Potential environmental benefits associated with demonstrated reductions in energy use, chemical dosing, or other consumable demand.
Typical Fields of Application
- Oil Pipelines
- Oil Storage Tanks
- Oil Refineries
- Onshore Oil Wells
- External Floating Roof Storage Tanks
- Oilfield Produced Water Treatment Facilities
- Offshore Oil Wells
- Oil Flow Lines
- Oil Horses & Pump Jacks
Proven Results at Several Installations
At oil and gas wells in the United States, Freytech reports field measurements documenting reductions in selected pollutant concentrations in air, water, crude oil and soil following EBD deployment. Field deployment of EBD in operating oil wells in Texas, USA has been associated with measurable reductions in hydrogen sulfide (Hâ‚‚S), bacterial activity, and paraffin-wax accumulation, together with observed reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). At oil and gas wells in the State of Ohio, EBD-treated oil wells exhibited increases in oil gravity and oil production together with reductions in hydrogen sulfide (Hâ‚‚S), paraffin content, and sulfur-related odors surrounding the treated wells. The corresponding gas-well installation showed a sustained reduction in Hâ‚‚S together with increased gas production relative to the control well.
...reduction and control of scale, sludge, asphaltene, and paraffin-wax buildup...
How EBD Works for Oil & Gas Facilities
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are one class of chemically reactive oxidizing species that may be present or generated in petroleum and environmental systems.Â
Oxidative activity may also involve other oxidizing and redox-active species arising from oxygen-reduction chemistry, biological metabolism, treatment chemicals, pollutant reactions, mineral and metal chemistry, corrosion processes, and other environmental or industrial pathways.Â
At excessive levels, this broader oxidative activity can impose oxidative stress on microorganisms by damaging DNA, proteins, lipids, membranes, and critical enzymes, thereby impairing metabolic and enzymatic processes involved in biodegradation and transformation.Â
Excessive oxidative activity may also contribute to oxidative alteration of petroleum constituents, corrosion reactions, and changes in interfacial or mineral chemistry associated with fouling and deposit formation.
EBD units are passive engineered systems containing proprietary mineral compositions, including high-entropy metal oxides. EBD is proposed to influence localized electrochemical, redox, and electron-transfer conditions within the surrounding treatment environment. Within this proposed mechanism, EBD may moderate excessive oxidative activity associated not only with ROS, but also with other oxidizing and redox-active species.Â
Where demonstrated, these effects may reduce oxidative stress on indigenous microorganisms and support microbial metabolism, enzymatic activity, and pollutant transformation while also limiting oxidative processes that contribute to crude-oil aging, corrosion, fouling, and deposit formation.Â
The specific contribution of the mineral substrates to field-scale oxidative and redox modulation and the resulting biological or physicochemical response remains subject to continuing mechanistic characterization.Â
The proprietary mineral substrates, including high-entropy metal oxides, remain contained within the EBD units and are not consumed or dosed into the treatment stream during normal operation. EBD units require no replenishment of the mineral media.