Baker Hughes introduces FATHOM XT SUBSEA525 asphaltene inhibitor
HOUSTON -- Baker Hughes announced today the commercial release of its high-performance, low-dosage FATHOM XT SUBSEA525 inhibitor that helps control asphaltene deposition in deepwater wells, providing better flow assurance and reducing remediation costs by minimizing the risk of blockages in production lines and equipment. The inhibitor was designed and certified for offshore applications using a proprietary qualification protocol, and a stringent laboratory evaluation method to enable full compatibility with subsea equipment and effective performance at low treatment levels.
During production, crude oils can deposit asphaltenes inside pumps and pipes, creating serious production issues such as plugged flow lines and clogged equipment, resulting in the need to stop operations and perform a costly remediation procedure to get production back online at acceptable levels. Many times, these procedures only offer temporary relief. To lessen the risk of asphaltene deposition and enhance flow, the FATHOM XT inhibitor can be applied at low treatment levels during initial production and throughout the life of the well. The low dosage rate simplifies supply logistics, reduces onsite storage and lowers handling risk.
“Today, improving production while minimizing operating costs is one of the most critical challenges facing our customers,” said Ruben DeVelasco, V.P. of upstream chemicals at Baker Hughes. “We developed the new, low-dosage FATHOM XT inhibitor to help protect subsea pipelines and other equipment from asphaltene deposition, and umbilical lines and capillary tubing systems from plugging or failures, enhancing our customers’ production output with less remediation downtime than was previously possible.”
