Innovation Anthology #41: Consultant
Much like cholesterol that clogs human arteries, one of the problems that plagues oil companies is the deposition of wax or paraffin inside pipelines.
The deposit is removed by a process called pigging, where the paraffin is either mechanically pushed through the pipe or is dissolved by chemical additives.
For the last few years, Dr. Petre Toma and his colleagues at the Alberta Research Council have been working on a better way to deal with this paraffin buildup.
With the help of some special equipment he designed, Dr. Toma discovered the paraffin is not one single solid layer as previously thought.
DR. PETRE TOMA: By creating a system where the layer can be observed, we noticed that it is a more complex structure. We gave it a two-layer name and that allowed us to develop a new method for calculating the rate of the deposition and removal in a way that was not done before.
Using the new calculation model developed by Dr. Petre Toma, oil companies may significantly reduce the cost of pigging their pipelines and the amount of chemicals required.
Thanks today to the Alberta Research Council.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Daryll Hebert, PhD,
Encompass Strategic Resources, Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada,
Sponsor
Alberta Research Council
Established as the first provincial research organization in Canada, the Alberta Research Council is 85 years old. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) develops and commercializes technologies to give customers a competitive advantage. A leader in innovation, ARC provides solutions globally to the energy, life sciences, agriculture, environment, forestry and manufacturing sectors.
ARC performs about five per cent of the roughly $1.5 billion in R&D done in Alberta each year, and generates revenues of approximately $84 million per year. ARC operates from five sites across the province in Edmonton, Calgary, Vegreville and Devon and employs more than 600 highly-skilled people.
In January 2010, under the new Alberta Innovation Framework, the Alberta Research Council was restructured and incorporated into the new provincial agency Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.
Program Date: 2007-06-19