Screw pumps cost effective for heavy crude operations

This paper reports that in petroleum production, screw pumps fulfill the requirements for pumping crude oil with an API gravity of 20[degrees] or less (0.93 sp gr or greater). In many cases, these pumps provide more efficiency than centrifugal and reciprocating pumps. Heavy crude oils typically have viscosities at pumping temperatures in excess of 500 SSU (100 cSt). While screw pumps can handle viscosities ranging from fractional centistokes to millions of centistokes, the normal range for crude oil, from cost and efficiency viewpoints, is above 100 SSU (20 cSt). Bitumens can also be handled by screw pumps. Invented in 1922, rotary, positive-displacement multiple-screw pumps have been used for pumping fuel for burning, lubricating oil, fluid power, process feed, food, chemicals, synthetic-fiber slurries, general transfer, and many other applications.