Scaling occurs when a saturated brine undergoes a temperature or pressure change causing the solubility to decrease, which results in the precipitation of solid crystals. Some of the other common scales that form in the offshore oil recovery process are barium sulphate (barite), calcium carbonate (calcite), strontium sulphate, and magnesium sulphate.
The HiTClean Project is developing industrial technology to detect, clean and prevent internal fouling of oil pipes, particularly in the tidal range using ultrasonic technology.
Technical Project Objectives
- fouling and corrosion detection
- internal and external fouling prevention
- non-invasive fouling removal
- creating services i.e. data analysis and reporting, system maintenance and repair, system deployment by divers and ROV
Potential benefits include:
- Reduced downtime – Higher Profits
- Reduced Maintenance – Lower Costs
- Extended service life – Lower Investment costs
- Improved efficiency – Higher margins