Wax, Sludge and Sand Reduced in Trunkline

Trunk lines transporting crude oil over long distances face combined challenges from wax deposition, sludge accumulation, and sand carryover. These materials progressively reduce pipeline capacity and increase pumping energy requirements.

A major trunk line was experiencing accelerating buildup of wax, sludge, and sand deposits. Pigging operations were becoming more frequent and the recovered material volumes were increasing, indicating a worsening condition.

Merus technology installed at the pipeline inlet reduced the accumulation of all three contaminant types. The pipeline showed improved flow characteristics, and pigging runs recovered significantly less material, indicating that deposits were not forming at the previous rate.