OREANDA-NEWS. December 01, 2011. NGDU Sorochinskneft (part of OJSC Orenburgneft, a subsidiary of TNK-BP) has begun pilot tests on a vortex heat generation unit to enhance production of viscous oil at the Baklanovskoe field, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

The unit is used to heat the produced liquid, reducing its viscosity and solving the problem of transporting it to the oil processing unit.

According to the head of Sorochinskneft’s innovation team Nikolay Matyukhin, the heat generation unit is a step towards deploying alternative upstream technologies designed to improve process stability in oil production facilities.

Thanks to the new technology, production chemicals will no longer be required, saving around 35 mln rules annually while also cutting operating costs. Annual production at the Baklanovskoe field is currently over 120,000 tonnes.