The Challenge
At an early-production gas and oil production plant facility in Middle Java, Indonesia, the crude oil has a waxy consistency that can create problems when temperatures drop too low. When crude oil is waxy, the oil has to be heated to ensure that it does not solidify and clog the oil pipeline.
The Solution
Chromalox designed a heat trace system to prevent heat loss from the pipe and to maintain the crude oil at the proper temperature to keep it liquid and flowing. The project required installation of 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) of Chromalox (model SRM/E) heat trace cable that is designed for medium temperature process maintenance. The self-regulating cable ensures efficiency by using less energy. Additionally, SRM/E can be single overlapped without burnout, which simplifies heat tracing of in-line process equipment, such as valves, elbows and pumps, making the cable easy to install. Chromalox specializes in custom hot oil and gas heaters for many applications.
In addition, the Chromalox team specified the design and sizing of the heat trace system using ChromaTrace software. Chromalox also provided the engineering drawing, which included heat trace installation layout and installation manual.
Benefits
- Energy efficiency
- Ease of installation
- Reliability of Chromalox design and engineering expertise
