Study on the wettability of oil and emulsions on different types of coating to be used in pipes for drag reduction tests in flow of emulsions

• Grant number: 21/02422-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2021
• End date: July 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Agreement: Equinor (former Statoil)
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Carlos Bannwart
• Grantee: Maria Victória Soares da Silva Cunha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica (FEM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica (FEM)
• Associated research grant: 17/15736-3 - Engineering Research Centre in Reservoir and Production Management, AP.PCPE

Abstract

The present research proposal aims to identify the best types of coating with potential for application to the internal surface of oil production pipes in order to reduce the friction coefficient at the oil / pipe interface and facilitate the flow. Fluid flow resistance is the result of internal friction, intermolecular interactions in the bulk of the fluid, and external friction at the interface between fluid and pipe wall. The coating of the internal surface of pipelines of production lines with materials capable of modifying the affinity between the oil and the surface can promote the reduction of the effective friction coefficient, promoting an increase in transport efficiency and, consequently, the production of reservoir fluids. . This approach brings the possibility of applying concepts of interface chemistry to the development of technologies that provide productivity gains. Thus, the objective of this proposal is to identify and define possible coating materials with industrial applicability, which result in different wettability of the surface to the oil. The coverings defined in this work will be tested in a flow circuit in the future. In this work, all studies will be focused on small-scale laboratory tests using a digital camera to obtain the contact angle between fluids and materials of interest for covering the inner surface of the pipes.