DOI: 10.11648/j.ijecec.20261102.12 ISSN: 2469-8059

Modelling and Economic Evaluation of a Solar-Assisted Crude Oil Heating System for Flow Assurance in Pipeline Transportation

Aondofa Iorkyaa, Kingsley Onwuguzo, Onyeka Okpalaeze, Chukwudubem Uzomba, Esther Akpan
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Crude oil transportation in the Niger Delta requires effective thermal management to maintain flow assurance. Heat loss, wax precipitation, and increasing viscosity can restrict crude-oil flow and increase operational risks. This study developed an analytical techno-economic framework for solar-assisted heating of a representative 20 km crude-oil pipeline using Nigerian crude-oil properties and Niger Delta solar-resource data. Evacuated-tube collectors and a sensible-heat storage tank were sized, and a 25-year lifecycle cost analysis compared the hybrid solar-plus-gas system with gas-fired and electric-heating references. The model estimated a heating demand of 1.78 MW (15,622 MWh annually); polyurethane-foam insulation contributed 82.7% of total pipeline thermal resistance. An 8,549 m 2 collector field with 3,490 modules and a 546 m³ storage tank achieved an annual solar fraction of 38.7%. The solar system required USD 3.22 million in capital investment. After including supplementary gas for the 61.3% of annual demand not met by solar, and costing the conventional references against the full annual demand, the estimated annual OPEX was USD 139,840 for solar-assisted heating, USD 351,589 for gas-fired heating, and USD 1.698 million for electric heat tracing. Over 25 years at a 10% discount rate, the corrected lifecycle costs were USD 4.860 million, USD 5.594 million, and USD 17.316 million, respectively. The solar-assisted system had an estimated positive NPV of USD 0.734 million relative to gas-fired heating, an incremental-capital simple payback of 4.8 years, and a discounted payback of approximately 6.9 years. Its LCOH was USD 0.0343/kWh, about 13.1% below the gas-fired reference and 72.0% below electric heat tracing. Monte Carlo analysis using a simplified cash-flow formulation yielded a 100% probability of positive NPV for the investigated parameter distributions. The findings indicate potential for solar-assisted pipeline heating, but supplementary heating remains essential during low-solar periods. Pilot-scale validation and further assessment of hybrid backup strategies are recommended.

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