SYNERGETIC EFFECT OF A DRAG REDUCER AND PIPELINE INTERNAL COATING ON CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT IN OIL AND GAS PIPELINES: A LITERATURE REVIEW

This article presents a review of investigations on the effect of drag-reducing agents and internal coatings to increase gas and liquid pipeline system capacity, and the correlation between the pipe internal surface roughness, pressure drop, and the maximum flow rate of gas through the pipeline. The enhancements in pipeline hydraulics are identified and used to estimate increase in pipeline capacity and subsequent savings in operating cost over a wide range of fluid and pipeline parameters. The economic benefits are presented as payback periods using discount cash flow techniques. Moreover, the aim of this study was to review published information on drag reducers and pipeline internal coating relevant to pipeline capacity enhancement.