Because of the high capital investment in these facilities, oil companies often elect to produce satellite fields from subsea completions tied back to existing facilities. Tiebacks are usually 10 to 20 miles long, but can be much longer. Some crudes contain paraffin waxes, which cause them to gel when cooled, or which deposit on the cold pipe wall surface, gradually choking off the flow through the pipeline. Other oils contain asphaltenes, which can destabilize from changes in pressure, temperature, or oil composition, and deposit on pipe walls, with subsequent plugging. Icy clusters known as hydrates, which form from water and methane also can cause pipeline blockage.
Producers use mechanical means to keep pipelines free f solids accumulations.
Pigs are usually inadequate or uneconomical, however, unless they are used in conjunction with a chemical treatment program. Designing a deepwater injection chemical handling system and predicting system behavior can be a tricky, complex task. Baker Petrolite's highly trained professional engineers and chemists can aid producers in designing systems that will work best in their applications. Baker Petrolite also can bring the deepwater producer custom-designed combination products with the capability to perform multiple functions for a given location. The various crudes respond individually to different products, making a customized approach the best for reaching optimal performance in a combination product.