Clariant Refinery Services opens UK lab

Clariant Refinery Services officially opened a new crude and fuel oil laboratory at Bradford, UK, on 23 January. This division makes pour point depressants (PPDs) for the transportation and storage of crude oil, diesel and marine fuels; and cold-flow additive applications for middle-distillates, including diesel, home heating oil and biofuels. 

The new lab will act as a global centre of excellence, supporting a technical services team focused on transport and storage applications. “With the ability to replicate field conditions within the laboratory, Clariant can conduct full performance potential analyses of any crude oil product, in a real-life simulation,” the company said.

The centre has a wide range of testing regimes and methods for crude oil analysis and performance testing to assist in developing new PPDs. These methodologies have already been used to develop PPDs and fuel stabilisers to address the new International Maritime Organisation 2020 regulations, which reduce marine fuels’ maximum sulphur content from 3.5% to 0.5%.