Wax deposition is a critical flow assurance challenge in crude oil transportation, particularly during pipeline operation and restart conditions. Wax buildup can restrict flow, increase pressure drop, affect restartability, and impact overall pipeline reliability. Tridiagonal operates an advanced Wax Deposition Flow Loop designed to experimentally study wax deposition, removal, and mitigation under representative multiphase flow conditions. With advanced instrumentation and visualization capabilities, the facility provides valuable insights into wax behavior and supports the evaluation of flow assurance strategies.
The facility enables large-scale wax deposition experiments, pipeline restart studies with gelled waxy crude, evaluation of wax inhibitor effectiveness, and studies of wax deposition in gas-dominated oil condensate flow. It also supports optimization of wax stripping parameters and assessment of operational adjustments for mitigating wax buildup. These experimental capabilities help clients validate technologies, optimize operating conditions, and reduce uncertainty before field implementation—supporting more reliable and efficient crude oil transportation.