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Replies to post #44605 on QS Energy Inc (QSEP)
In February 2016, the modified AOT equipment was installed at Kinder Morgan’s facility. Pre-acceptance testing was performed in April 2016, culminating in more than 24 hours of continuous operations. In-field viscosity measurements and pipeline data collected during this test indicated the AOT equipment operated as expected, resulting in viscosity reductions equivalent to those measured under laboratory conditions. Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (“SCADA”) pipeline operating data collected by Kinder Morgan during this test indicated a pipeline pressure drop reduction consistent with expectations. Kinder Morgan provided the Company with a number of additional crude oil samples which were tested in the laboratory for future test correlation and operational planning purposes. Based on final analysis of in-field test results, SCADA operating data and subsequent analysis of crude oil samples at Temple University, Kinder Morgan and QS Energy are considering moving the AOT test facility to a different, higher-volume pipeline location.
North America continues to be a market of major focus. After operating AOT on a condensate (ultralight) pipeline in Texas, we continue to work with this midstream operator to locate a new test site on a pipeline transporting heavier crude to demonstrate greater benefit from AOT viscosity reduction. We are also in discussions with several other U.S. and Canadian midstream companies regarding a pilot project allowing for data transparency. We are working closely with one midstream operator with an expressed interest in using AOT to alleviate pipeline bottlenecks in the Southern United States.
In March 2018, the Company received preliminary approval from a prospective customer and has moved from concept to planning phase, targeting pilot installation in July 2018. Discussions are now underway to finalize project details and definitive documents. The overseas pipeline site under consideration transports very heavy crudes and is highly dependent on diluents to meet viscosity requirements. This project presents an excellent opportunity to determine AOT efficacy and demonstrate both financial and operational benefits of AOT. The pipeline operator is well positioned to benefit from system-wide adoption of AOT and could have high demand for our technology.
In November, the Company’s CEO and VP of Engineering traveled to South America, meeting with eight companies in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. After communicating remotely with engineers and executives of these companies over the past few months, this trip provided an opportunity to meet face-to-face, tour facilities and operations, and see first-hand how and where AOT would likely provide benefit to their operations. Each of these companies expressed both interest and need for our AOT technology and discussions are continuing at a variety of levels.
One of the Company’s most interesting South American prospects has a defined need to increase capacity on pipelines transporting a very heavy crude typical throughout South America. This operator is weighing the benefits of AOT against the option of installing more pump stations while adding more diluent to its blend to meet its needs. A heavy crude oil sample provided by this operator was tested at Temple University in March 2018, demonstrating viscosity reductions of 50% and above at variety of temperatures from room temperature up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Duration testing indicated this crude oil maintains AOT-induced viscosity reduction well beyond 24 hours, retaining 85% of its AOT viscosity reduction 24 hours post-treatment. Preliminary analysis of laboratory results applied to this operator’s pipeline infrastructure indicates AOT could decrease reliance on diluent and increase flow rates, resulting in increased pipeline capacity of more than 20%. We are now working with this operator to detail the scope and terms of a potential pilot project.
The Company recently reopened discussions with an Asian crude oil company with prior experience testing AOT equipment in the field. Although these discussions are early stage, we hope to move quickly based on their experience and familiarity with QS Energy and our technology.
Our efforts are tightly focused on executing our pilot program strategy and conversations continue with prospective customers in the Gulf Coast, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.
We believe QS Energy’s technologies will enable the petroleum industry to gain key value advantages boosting profit, while satisfying the needs of regulatory bodies at the same time. In 2014 and 2016, we installed and operated AOT equipment on two North American pipelines, demonstrating our ability to build, deliver and operate our AOT equipment on a high-volume commercial pipeline. Key players in the pipeline industry continue to demonstrate interest in our technologies.
During the third quarter 2017, the Company built a dedicated laboratory space at its Tomball Texas facility, and now has the capability to perform onsite testing utilizing our laboratory-scale AOT device, among other equipment. Development of an AOT unit for use in crude oil upstream and gathering operations was restarted in September 2017 utilizing resources at the Tomball facility, and the Company plans to resume Joule Heat development in the future depending on the availability of sufficient capital and other resources. Also during the third quarter 2017, the Company built an outdoor facility at its Tomball Texas facility for onsite storage of AOT inventory and other large equipment.
In 2017, the Company shifted its business development efforts to the development of one or more pilot projects intended to demonstrate and document AOT efficacy, operational benefits, and financial impact. The Company is working with prospective customers on potential pilot project sites in three primary markets: U.S., South America, and Asia. Each of these prospects operates heavy crude oil pipelines. The Company’s short-term goal is to have at least one pilot project operational in 2018 with the intention of converting from pilot operations to revenue-generating commercial operations and future commercial AOT deployment. Company’s efforts are tightly focused on executing its pilot program strategy and conversations continue with prospective customers in the Gulf Coast, Canada, and the Middle East.
During the third quarter 2016, the Company developed a new onsite testing program to demonstrate AOT viscosity reduction at prospective customer sites. This program utilized a fully functional laboratory-scale AOT device designed and developed by the Company and tested at the Southern Research Institute. Under this program, Company engineers set up a temporary lab at the customer’s site to test a full range of crude oils. Fees charged for providing this service were dependent on scope of services, crude oil sample to be tested, and onsite time requirements. In the fourth quarter 2016, the Company entered a contract to provide these onsite testing services to a North American oil producer and pipeline operator over a one-week period in early 2017 at a fixed price of $50,000. This test was performed in January 2017; data analysis and final report was completed in March 2017. Test results demonstrated viscosity reduction under limited laboratory conditions.
The Company is actively seeking new deployments of its AOT technology. In August 2015, QS Energy was invited to an offshore oil transfer platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This offshore platform was assessed by QS Energy personnel for a potential deployment of the AOT viscosity reduction technology as a solution for super-heavy crude oil flow assurance issues. Following the site visit, subject to non-disclosure agreements executed by all parties, laboratory testing was performed on crude oil samples provided by the operator, which demonstrated significant AOT viscosity reductions. Detailed hydraulic analysis based on laboratory results and pipeline operating parameters was presented to the operator demonstrating potential benefits of AOT technology within the operator’s specified infrastructure. Based on this analysis, the Company prepared a preliminary configuration for AOT units optimized for the operator’s high-volume, space-constrained operations. Company engineers and supply chain partners presented an optimized configuration and production budget. Discussions continue with this operator regarding an onsite pilot test deployment of the proposed AOT configuration, targeting project planning in in 2018 and potential deployment in 2019.
In July 2017, the Company filed for trademark protection for the word “eDiluent” in advance of rolling out a new marketing and revenue strategy based on the concept of using AOT to reduce pipeline dependence upon diluent to reduce viscosity of crude oils. A primary function of AOT is to reduce viscosity by means of its solid-state electronics technology; in essence providing an electronic form of diluent, or “eDiluent”. The Company plans to market and sell a value-added service under the name eDiluent, designed to be upsold by the Company’s midstream pipeline customers in an effort to provide the Company with long-term recurring revenues.
Our primary goal is to provide the oil industry with a cost-effective method by which to increase the number of barrels of oil able to be transported per day through the industry’s existing and newly built pipelines. The greatest impact on oil transport volume may be realized through reductions in pipeline operator reliance on diluent for viscosity reduction utilizing AOT technology; a process the Company refers to as electronic diluent, or “eDiluent”. The Company filed for trademark protection of the term eDiluent in 2017. We also seek to provide the oil industry with a way to reduce emissions from operating equipment. We believe our goals are realizable via viscosity reduction using our AOT product line.
QS Energy, Inc. (“QS Energy” or “Company” or “we” or “us” or “our”) develops and commercializes energy efficiency technologies that assist in meeting increasing global energy demands, improving the economics of oil extraction and transport, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Company's intellectual properties include a portfolio of domestic and international patents and patents pending, a substantial portion of which have been developed in conjunction with and exclusively licensed from Temple University of Philadelphia, PA (“Temple”). QS Energy's primary technology is called Applied Oil Technology (AOT), a commercial-grade crude oil pipeline transportation flow-assurance product. Engineered specifically to reduce pipeline pressure loss, increase pipeline flow rate and capacity, and reduce shippers’ reliance on diluents and drag reducing agents to meet pipeline maximum viscosity requirements, AOT is a 100% solid-state system that reduces crude oil viscosity by applying a high intensity electrical field to crude oil feedstock while in transit. AOT technology delivers reductions in crude oil viscosity and pipeline pressure loss as demonstrated in independent third-party tests performed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the PetroChina Pipeline R&D Center, and ATS RheoSystems, a division of CANNON™, at full-scale test facilities in the U.S. and China, and under commercial operating conditions on one of North America’s largest high-volume crude oil pipelines. Recent testing on a commercial crude oil condensate pipeline demonstrated high correlation between laboratory analysis and full-scale AOT operations under commercial operating conditions with onsite measurements and data collected by the pipeline operator on its supervisory control and data acquisition (“SCADA”) system. The AOT product has transitioned from laboratory testing and ongoing research and development to initial production and continued testing in advance of our goal of seeking acceptance and adoption by the midstream pipeline marketplace. We continue to devote the bulk of our efforts to the promotion, design, testing and the commercial manufacturing and operations of our crude oil pipeline products in the upstream and midstream energy sector. We anticipate that these efforts will continue during 2018.
QS Energy’s AOT technology is strategically aligned with the major requirements and challenges facing the petroleum pipeline economy.
In 2014, the Company began development of a new suite of products based around the new electrical heat system which reduces oil viscosity through a process known as joule heat (“Joule Heat”). The Company is designing and optimizing the Joule Heat technology for the upstream oil transportation market. The Company filed two provisional patents related to the technology’s method and apparatus in the second quarter and fourth quarter of 2013, respectively. The first of the two provisional patents was finalized and submitted to non-provisional status on April 29, 2014. The second of the two provisional patents was finalized and submitted to non-provisional status at the end of the third quarter 2014.
In October 2014, QS Energy entered into a Joint Development Agreement with Newfield Exploration Company (“Newfield”) to test a prototype of QS Energy Joule Heat equipment, and combined Joule Heat and AOT technology, on a crude oil pipeline serving the Greater Monument Butte oilfield located in the Uintah Basin of Utah. This test of the Joule Heat technology provides ideal conditions to demonstrate efficiency and efficacy. The Uintah Basin is 5,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level with average low winter temperatures of 16ºF. Crude oil pumped from the region is highly paraffinic with the consistency of shoe polish at room temperature. Uintah's black wax crude must remain at a minimum of 95ºF and yellow wax above 115ºF and therefore requires a substantial amount of heat to keep it above its high pour point. Operators in the upstream market often run at temperatures of 140ºF to 160ºF. Newfield, like many other companies in the region, incurs significant operating expense in the form of fuel and power used to heat the waxy crude and counter the cold climate conditions characteristic of Utah. The Company’s first Joule Heat prototype was installed for testing purposes at the Newfield facility in June 2015 and the system is operational; however, changes to the prototype configuration will be required to determine commercial effectiveness of this unit. During the third and fourth quarters of 2015, we worked with Newfield and Dr. Carl Meinhart to modify the prototype configuration based on observed pipeline and Joule Heat operating factors. In addition, QS Energy provided a scaled-down version of the Joule Heat unit for static and flow-through testing at SRI. Testing performed by SRI in September 2015 on a laboratory-scale Joule Heat unit demonstrated the ability of the Joule Heat technology to deliver temperature increases in the laboratory setting.
Our manufacturing strategy is to contract with third-party vendors and suppliers, each with a strong reputation and proven track record in the pipeline industry. These vendors are broken up by product component subcategory, enabling multiple manufacturing capacity redundancies and safeguards to be utilized. In addition, this strategy allows the Company to eliminate the prohibitively high capital expenditures such as costs of building, operating and maintaining its own manufacturing facilities, ratings, personnel and licenses, thereby eliminating unnecessary capital intensity and risk.
The Company has developed a well-established supply chain for fabrication of the commercial AOT. The supply chain consists of multiple component suppliers and manufacturing companies engaged under Independent Contractor Agreements according to their respective fields of expertise. The supply chain entities have been chosen for their ability to work collaboratively with QS Energy and for their existing relationships with current and potential future customers of QS Energy technologies. The external components such as pressure vessels, inlet and outlet piping header systems, personnel and equipment shelters are manufactured under contract with Power Service Inc. with offices in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, and Texas. Internal components such as grid packs, electrical connections and other machined parts are manufactured by Industrial Screen and Maintenance, with offices in Wyoming and Colorado. All equipment is manufactured in the United States of America, using only approved raw materials and vendors for quality control and import/export compliance purposes and meet the certifications and specifications as dictated by our customers and their independent oversight and auditing authorities.
Other components such as power systems, electrical junction boxes, cabling, hardware, switches, circuit breakers, computer equipment, sensors, SCADA/PLC, software and other power and integration equipment are purchased as complete units from various suppliers with operations based throughout North America. All component vendors are required to meet or exceed the same specifications as the parts manufacturers to maintain compliance as dictated by our customers and their independent oversight and auditing authorities.
First, AOT allows the oil transportation sector to increase capacity while remaining within maximum pressure requirements. The technology can increase capacity for the industry and reduce reliance on truck and train transport, which has often proven inefficient and environmentally hazardous. Second, AOT helps to reduce power consumption and other operating costs for pipeline operators. These technologies optimize pipeline operating efficiency, which is especially important given the current oil price environment.
In answer to the energy industry’s pressing challenges, QS Energy is commercializing cost-efficient solutions for increasing the capacity of existing and new pipeline gathering and transmission systems, capable of reducing power consumption, operational overhead, increasing margins and delivering measurable competitive advantages.
Laboratory and Scientific Testing
From 2010 through 2013, the Company worked with the U.S. Department of Energy (“US DOE”) to test its technology at the Department of Energy’s Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (“RMOTC”), near Casper, Wyoming. This third-party testing independently verified the efficacy of the Company’s technology operating in a controlled facility, using commercial-scale prototype of our AOT equipment. These tests were summarized in the US DOE Rocky Mountain Oilfield Test Center report dated April 4, 2012 (“ROMRC Report”), which reported AOT measured pressure loss reduction of 40% (RMOTC Report, Fig. 1, page 4) and viscosity reduction of 40% (RMOTC Report, Fig. 2, page 4); and reported observed reductions in line-loss and gains in pump operation efficiency across the entire length of the 4.4-mile test pipeline. A copy of the RMOTC April 4, 2012 Report is available on the Company website at: https://qsenergy.box.com/DOE-STWA-RMOTC-Report. A subsequent long-duration (24-hour) test at the RMOTC facility tested the effectiveness of AOT in treating oil overnight, as pipeline oil temperatures and viscosities drop. In its report dated May 3, 2012 to May 4, 2012, US DOE engineers recorded 56% reduction in viscosity of the AOT-treated oil versus untreated oil, with AOT effectively stabilizing oil viscosity throughout the overnight run despite dropping temperatures. A copy of the RMOTC May 3, 2012 to May 4, 2012 report is available on the Company website at: https://qsenergy.box.com/DOE-STWA-RMOTC-Overnight.
Laboratory testing of our AOT technology has been conducted by Dr. Rongjia Tao. Testing of the technology as applied to crude oil extraction and transmission has been conducted at Temple University in their Physics Department, in addition to the US DOE, at their Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center, located on the Naval Petroleum Reserve #3 Teapot Dome Oilfield, north of Casper, Wyoming. In addition, a group led by Dr. Rongjia Tao, Chairman, Department of Physics of Temple University conducted experiments, using the laboratory-scale Applied Oil Technology apparatus at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (CNR). NIST is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, founded in 1901 in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Independent laboratory testing was also conducted as a collaborative effort by Temple University and PetroChina Pipeline R&D Center (“PetroChina”) in 2012. In its report dated June 26, 2012 (“PetroChina Report”), PetroChina concluded, “The above series of tests show that it is very effective to use AOT to reduce the viscosity of crude oil. We can see that AOT has significantly reduced the viscosity of Daqing crude oil, Changqing crude oil, and Venezuela crude oil, and greatly improved its flow rate.” (PetroChina Report, page 15). A copy of the PetroChina Report is available online at: https://qsenergy.box.com/PetroChina-STWA-Report
As previously reported in 2014, QS Energy installed and tested its commercial AOT equipment, leased and operated by TransCanada on TransCanada’s high-volume Keystone pipeline operation. The first full test of the AOT equipment on the Keystone pipeline was performed in July 2014, with preliminary data analyzed and reported by Dr. Rongjia Tao of Temple University. Upon review of the July 2014 test results and preliminary report by Dr. Tao, QS Energy and TransCanada mutually agreed that this initial test was flawed due to, among other factors, the short term nature of the test, the inability to isolate certain independent pipeline operating factors such as fluctuations in upstream pump station pressures, and limitations of the AOT device to produce a sufficient electric field to optimize viscosity reduction. Although Dr. Tao’s preliminary report indicated promising results, QS Energy and TransCanada mutually agreed that no conclusions could be reliably reached from the July 2014 test or from Dr. Tao’s preliminary report. As a result of this test, the Company modified its testing protocols and contracted with an independent laboratory, ATS RheoSystems, a division of CANNON (“ATS”), to perform follow-up tests at the TransCanada facility. This independent laboratory performed viscosity measurements at the TransCanada facility during subsequent testing in September 2014. As detailed in its field test report dated October 6, 2014, ATS measured AOT viscosity reductions of 8% to 23% depending on flow rates and crude oil types in transit. Over the duration of a 24-hour test intended to measure the recovery of the AOT treated oil from its reduced-viscosity treated state to its original pre-treated viscosity, ATS measured viscosity reductions of 23% three hours after treatment and 11% thirteen hours after treatment, with the crude oil returning to its untreated state approximately twenty-two hours after treatment. In its summary report dated February 5, 2015, ATS concluded that i) data indicated a decrease in viscosity of crude oil flowing through the TransCanada pipeline due to AOT treatment of the crude oil; and ii) the power supply installed on our equipment would need to be increased to maximize reduction in viscosity and take full advantage of the AOT technology. A copy of the ATS summary report dated February 5, 2015 is available on the Company website at: https://qsenergy.box.com/ATS-AOT-SummaryRpt. A copy of the ATS field test report dated October 6, 2014, with certain confidential information redacted, is available on the Company website at: https://qsenergy.box.com/ATS-AOT-Detailed-Report.
Although, as reported by ATS, the efficacy of the AOT technology operated in the TransCanada field test was constrained due to limitations of the electric field applied by that unit’s power supply, subsequent analysis by QS Energy personnel of ATS test results compared against laboratory tests performed at Temple University on oil samples provided by TransCanada revealed a single test run in which the electric field generated by the AOT was sufficient to fully treat the oil given operating conditions at the time of the test. In this test run, ATS measured a 23% reduction in viscosity three hours after AOT treatment. Laboratory tests at Temple University performed on a sample of crude oil provided by TransCanada of the same type treated in that specific field test measured a 27% reduction in viscosity in the laboratory immediately following treatment. Allowing for the actual three-hour of recovery time of the field test measurement, the resulting field test viscosity reduction of 23% correlates very well to the 27% viscosity reduction achieved in the laboratory setting.
ABSTRACT
We demonstrate that the cold flowability of the waxy crude oil can be significantly improved via electrical treatment. A novel apparatus was assembled to electrically treat the waxy crude oil while simultaneously measuring its rheological properties. A method was developed to calculate the oil’s viscosity by using non-Newtonian fluid mechanics and rheological principles. Lower treatment temperatures, higher electric field strengths, and lower shear rates provided greater viscosity reduction. Notably, a viscosity reduction of 70% was obtained when the oil was electrically treated near its pour point for 90 s. Microscopic examinations indicate that the broader size distribution of wax particles in the treated oil might be responsible for the observed viscosity reduction. Besides, the energy consumption of the electrical treatment was estimated to be less than 1% of that of the conventional heating method to achieve the same viscosity reduction performance.
CONCLUSIONS
We assembled a novel apparatus to electrically treat the waxy crude oil and developed a method to calculate the viscosity variation during the treatment by using non-Newtonian fluid mechanics and rheological principles. Lower treatment temper- atures, lower shear rates, and higher electric field strengths provided higher viscosity reduction. This viscosity reduction might be caused by a broader wax crystal size distribution in the oil after the treatment. A viscosity reduction of 70% was obtained after the crude oil was electrically treated at 18 °C and 0.8 kV/mm for 90 s. Moreover, the electrical treatment was estimated to consume less than 1% of the energy assumption associated with heating to achieve the same viscosity reduction performance. These findings demonstrate that the electrical treatment might be an efficient and economical technology for improving the cold flowability of waxy crude oils.
We are also very excited by opportunities in Asia, having recently reopened discussions with an Asian crude oil company with prior experience testing AOT equipment in the field. Although these discussions are early stage, we have provided a draft LOI and hope to move quickly based on their experience and familiarity with QS Energy and our technology.
Abstract
The aim of the present work is to reduce the viscosity of Iraqi heavy crude oil to enhance its flowability in pipelines. This has been done by applying an effective electrical field through design and implementation of an invented capacitor. In order to attain this objective; an experimental rig has been built. It consisted of: a crude oil pipe, a novel parallel plate capacitor, an oil pump, a solenoid valve, a viscometer, and a control unit (relay, voltage regulator, rectifier, timer, and digital voltmeter). The experimental work was performed according to central composite rotatable design for three operating variables: treatment time (0–60 s), applied voltage (140–220 v), and space between capacitor electrodes of (2–10 cm). The optimum conditions were obtained using STATISTICA and WinQSB softwares. At optimum conditions, locally prepared nanosilica has been employed with different concentrations (0–700 mg/L) to show its effect on crude oil viscosity in the presence of an electrical field impact. The results showed that the viscosity was reduced significantly with increasing treatment time, voltage, and distance between electrodes. The Minimum viscosity obtained was at 32 s treatment time, 188 V, and 6.11 cm distance between capacitor electrodes. This represented the optimum conditions with a minimum viscosity of 20.479 cSt. Afterwards, the viscosity increased due to particles aggregation. At optimum conditions the fluid flow characteristics obtained were: 2630.93, 0.4089 gm/cm2, 0.2657 gm/cm2, and 57.059 W S, for Reynolds number, shear stress, pressure drop, and power consumption, respectively. The experimental results proved that the invented capacitor offered a good reduction in viscosity and a good saving in power of 37% at optimum con- ditions achieved at 10 ± 2 C. The nanosilica optimum concentration was 100 mg/L that gave a minimum vis- cosity of 12.8 cSt with a reduction percentage and power saving of 60.6%. The viscosity reduction has lasted for 11 h.
Conclusions
From the obtained results it can be concluded that the electric field proved to be a very effective method for viscosity reduction suitable for Iraqi heavy crude oil. The electric field processing technology consumes very little energy resulting in a high energy saving for pumping; also the flow rate of crude oil in pipelines subjected to electrical field treatment is greater than that without treatment. The experimental measurement of viscosity processed with electrical field method at low temperatures confirmed the effectiveness of the treating method even with lower climate temperatures. The innovative design of the perforated parallel plate's capacitor achieved a best reduction in the viscosity of Iraqi crude oil. It enabled the micro and nano size particles to arrange in short chains and allowed the layers of liquid to slide over each other in a regular form, diminished the turbulence and friction with internal pipe walls. The addition of nano silica particles in very low concentrations together with the electric field contributed significantly to crude oil viscosity reduction because of high dielectric, but at greater concentrations increased the viscosity. Thus it can be concluded that the nano silica treated viscosity, when added in a few percentages. Finally, electric field with a novel capacitor design can reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oil in few sec- onds lasting for several hours.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express grateful thanks to The Iraqi Min- istry of Oil/Oil Pipelines Company for the financial support in accor- dance with graduate research (grant No. 2/2016)
While our efforts are tightly focused on executing our pilot program strategy, conversations continue with prospective customers in the Gulf Coast, Canada, and the Middle East.
