Jorhat, Oct. 23: The CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology here has designed a machine to remove and recover wax from strainers in pipelines used to transport crude oil, in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner.
Currently, oil-producing companies clean the strainers by applying heat, which melts and burns off the wax. This process causes pollution and the accumulated wax is also lost.
The heavy crude oil produced in the Northeast has a high crystalline wax content, which clogs pipelines and has to be removed regularly. The wax is caught in strainers, failing which it would affect the pumps.
Dipankar Neog, the engineer scientist of CSIR-NEIST's civil engineering division, said the crude oil produced in the Northeast was heavy like honey, unlike the light watery crude oil produced in Bombay High and other places.
"Though the crude oil produced here has high molecular weight, it is of high value as apart from petrol and diesel one can also produce lubricants, grease and wax. The problem is that it blocks the pipelines and may result in loss to the downstream refining industries," he said.
The pipelines have to be cleaned regularly to prevent blockages and narrowing of the vent so that the downstream refineries can get adequate crude oil daily for refining.
"In winter, the matter is compounded as the strainers have to be replaced as many as two to three times a week. And, the current practice of applying heat to get rid of the wax is a cumbersome and long process," Neog said.
"The equipment we have designed cleans one strainer within 20 minutes and collects the wax in another chamber. This wax can be sold and products can be made from it. We have also taken into cognisance the hazard of the wax catching fire and it is completely risk free," he said.
The prototype has been tested successfully at the Oil India Limited's (OIL) PS 3 pipeline division and is ready for use.
Neog said in Assam, ONGC and OIL are the two major producers of crude oil while there are refiners in Digboi, Numaligarh, Bongaigaon and Noonmati near Guwahati. All the crude oil produced is transmitted through pipelines maintained and controlled by OIL.
