HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF PIPELINES FOR PUMPING CRUDE OILS MIXED WITH AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF SURFACTANTS

Mixtures of Mangushlak crude oil or fuel oil with aqueous solutions of surfactant (sulfinol) were pumped through a laboratory test apparatus and through 3600 m of 152 mm dia pipe. Hydraulic resistance to flow was measured at many rates of flow. The crude oil was viscous and formed an emulsion with the surfactant solution with good dispersal of the two phases throughout the line. Hydraulic resistance decreases as flow velocity and concentrations of surfactant in the mixture increase.