December 2017, Vol. 244, No. 12
TechNotes
Optum Emerges as Pipeline Drag Reducer Manufacturer
Optum Energy Solutions entered the pipeline drag reducer market as a major manufacturer and full service supplier.
The leadership team at Optum traces its experience with drag reducing agents (DRA) to the first commercial use of the technology for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The company offers customized, turnkey solutions, including full field support and onsite services.
Optum’s manufacturing facility, a 60-acre complex in Chickasha, OK, was funded by sponsor, CSL Capital Management, an energy-focused private equity fund, and is capable of supplying millions of gallons of drag reducer additive to globally meet any client needs.
Flow Optimizer is Optum’s new, water-based DRA technology, designed for broad-spectrum applications in crude oil pipelines. The technology’s active ingredient is an ultra-high molecular weight hydrocarbon polymer, like major components of crude oil.
Optum’s proprietary process includes cutting-edge methods for controlling polymerization and blending strategies, resulting in a suspension that is easy to maintain and re-suspend with mild agitation.
Flow Optimizer’s superior performance can be supplied in three formulations: Flow Optimizer for temperate climate; Flow Optimizer Sub-F for winter applications; Flow Optimizer Polar for environments continuously well below freezing.
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