STWA's Oil Pipeline Technology (AOT™) Achieves 40% Pressure Drop Reduction
SANTA BARBARA, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 5, 2012) - STWA, Inc. (
To view the U.S. DOE's report on these test results please visit: http://www.stwa.com/STWA/whitepapers/RMOTC_STWA_AOT_Test_Report_04042012_FINAL.pdf.
The successful test results come on the heels of the Company executing letters of interest with two international entities for implementation of STWA's AOT™ technology. Additionally, in a move to continue to advance its intellectual property portfolio, STWA recently negotiated a new research grant for new technology development with Temple University.
In October of 2011, the U.S. DOE RMOTC published results stating that the Company's AOT™ prototype delivered increases in pipeline efficiency of 13.14% to 13.55%. Following that announcement, the Company received strong interest from industry professionals regarding how AOT™ would impact oil flow capacity, oil flow rates, and most specifically pressure drop in pipelines. This most recent test was conducted to deliver the key metrics sought by oil pipeline industry decision makers. In the course of this testing, the U.S. DOE RMOTC found that the new AOT™ prototype delivered improved performance over the AOT™ prototype tested in October of 2011.
The following statements are taken from the U.S. DOE RMOTC Test Report:
"The AOT device was removed in January 2012 and reworked to include new components, some of which were composed of alternate materials. The reworked device, referred to as the AOT 1.2H prototype, was reinstalled on the test loop in March 2012. RMOTC again validated overall system integrity after AOT 1.2H installation, and filled the loop with field-produced API 34° oil to facilitate this second phase of testing. The test was conducted on March 29, 2012."
"Test results indicate that the viscosity reduction device operated successfully and that the AOT 1.2H prototype delivers improved performance over the original AOT prototype tested in October 2011."
The reduction in pressure drop per mile was a direct result of the successful operation of the device in reducing the viscosity of the API°34 sweet, light crude produced at the Teapot Dome Oilfield in Wyoming.
The crude oil viscosity was observed to reduce by 40.01% from its baseline of 81.6 cp (centipoise) to its treated viscosity state of 48.95 cp. The direct benefits were that the discharge pressure of the positive displacement pump at 30hz was reduced from its baseline of 218 psi to a low of 186 psi as the fluid exhibited reduced pressure loss per mile, and returned to normal baseline levels as the treated fluid exited the pipeline. The pressure drop was observed to reduce 40.04% from 24.8 psi/mile to 14.87 psi/mile when the AOT™ system was engaged, and slowly return to normal as the treated fluid exited the pipeline.
The results for the Reynolds # were an increase of 66.70% from 1205.237 before treatment, to 2009.138 after treatment with the viscosity reduction device.
The results for the friction loss were a decrease of 39.62% from .053 before treatment to .032 after treatment with the viscosity reduction device.
The results for the pressure loss (dyne/cm�2) were a decrease of 40.00% from 1,379,000 to 827,400.
"This test was designed to measure one of the most important metrics to the oil pipeline industry: pressure drop. We believe these definitive results are what our future customers are looking for," stated STWA CEO Cecil Bond Kyte. "We are very excited about these new important results. As we progress in our ongoing testing and validation of our new technology, we are aggressively continuing to refine and pursue commercialized versions of AOT™. We at STWA would like to thank Dr. Tao of Temple University, the U.S. DOE RMOTC team, our supply chain, our employees, and especially our shareholders for their tireless support."
About Pressure Drop
Pressure drop is the term describing the frictional forces that cause resistance to fluid flow. According to the Company's research, pressure drop is one of the leading challenges in pipeline operation throughout the world. The Company believes that the AOT™ 1.2H's successful reduction in pressure drop by 40.04% is a material number that could improve the cost per ton, per mile figures for pipeline systems that incorporate the cutting-edge new technology.
About the Test
The research was co-funded by STWA, Inc. and the Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), the preeminent global collaborative research development organization of, by, and for the energy pipeline industry. Work was directed by Clarke Turner, Brian Haight, Wes Lintz, Wes Riesland, George Hughes and Jeanette Buelt, all of the United States Department of Energy Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center.
About STWA, Inc.
STWA, Inc. 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 property portfolio includes 24 domestic and international patents and patents pending, which have been developed in conjunction with and exclusively licensed from Temple University. STWA's technologies include Applied Oil Technology™ (AOT™) which is designed to improve oil flow through pipelines. AOT™ has been proven in U.S. Department of Energy tests to increase the energy efficiency of oil pipeline pump stations by over 13%. ELEKTRA™ improves diesel engine efficiency for industrial diesel engines, as well as diesel-powered trucks, trains, marine vessels, military fleets and jet turbines. More information including a company Fact Sheet, logos and media articles are available at: http://www.stwa.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described within the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could contribute to such differences include those matters more fully disclosed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.