Patent ID: 8450251
Filing Date: 2013-05-28
Classification: C09K,C10M,F17D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: introducing a drag reducing polymer, into a pipeline, such that the friction loss associated with the turbulent flow through the pipeline is reduced by suppressing the growth of turbulent eddies, into a liquid hydrocarbon having an asphaltene content of at least 3 weight percent and an API gravity of less than about 26° to thereby produce a treated liquid hydrocarbon wherein the viscosity of the treated liquid hydrocarbon is not less than the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon prior to treatment with the drag reducing polymer; wherein the drag reducing polymer is added to the liquid hydrocarbon in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 ppmw; and wherein drag reducing polymer comprises repeating units of the residues selected from the group consisting of: C4-C20 alkyls, C6-C20 unsubstituted aryls, C6-C20 substituted aryls, aryl-substituted C1-C10 alkyl ester derivatives of methacrylic acid, aryl-substituted C1-C10 alkyl ester derivatives of acrylic acids and combinations thereof; wherein the drag reducing polymer has a solubility parameter within 4 MPa