Oil-Water Pipeline Testing

Providing solutions to our clients’ pipeline challenges for more than 50 years, SRC’s Pipe Flow Technology Centre™ is highly-specialized in multi-phase pipe flow research.

Our research includes water-assisted flow, an environmentally beneficial technique in which water or brine is added to the heavy oil (with or without sand) prior to pipeline transport — resulting in significant reductions in the energy required to transport the heavy oil. This research can be conducted using one of our many slurry pipeline loops, where actual flow conditions are obtained in a laboratory environment in which temperature, flow rate and mixture composition can be controlled, and instrument performance can be optimized. 

Water-assisted flow for heavy oil pipelines has the potential to:

  • Reduce truck traffic as it provides an alternate transportation method for heavy oil from oil wells to battery treatment facilities
  • Reduce operating costs
  • Prolong the economic life of conventional heavy oil wells

We also conduct tests on mixtures containing a hazardous or volatile component using our high-temperature, high-pressure 100 mm diameter flow loop, which is located in a separate explosion-proof area. 

Contact us to learn more about how our pipe flow services can improve your operations.