Laroute research is central to the advance and development of the company. There are several main issues in the research agenda; development of new products, fine tuning of existing products, improving the logistics behind the operations and then probably the most important - knowing and understanding the products that we are treating.

Petroleum product knowledge is vital if we are to treat to contractual requirements; the key issue in this is to understand the paraffin profiles in the oils; these parameters are looked at using DSC - Differential Scan Calorimetry using IP 389. We use this data to assess how an oil will behave as it cools and changes phase from liquid to solid. The crystallisation will take place over a wide temperature range; on cooling we are looking at a crystallisation process between 40 deg c down to minus 120 deg c, the key temperature points are when the paraffin structure is developed enough to stop the flow of the liquid - The Pour Point. This is when between 1% and 2% of the paraffins have crystallised. The main research items are:

1. Cold property research of mid distillates - Gasoils.
2. Cold property research for crude oils.

Cold properties of crude oils, fuel oils and gasoils are a function of the main component - paraffins (C12 - C30). We monitor paraffin contents of all of the oils that we treat using the DSC technique; this method allows us to see how the oil will behave as it is cooled at a controlled rate (10 deg c / minute). We need to understand how the oil will behave when it is first produced from the ground to the wellhead; when it is refined, when it is cooled, when it is transported, when it is stored and finally delivered to its destination. At each stage the oil is submitted to temperature changes and this will provoke paraffin crystal changes.

The measured data is the paraffin content, the WAT (first crystallisation of the oil), the pour point - the temperature at which the liquid no longer flows in through the crystal structure, the vitreous point - total freezing of the oil and the oil becomes 100% solid and finally the WST, Wax Solubility Temperature - when the sample is reheated the point at which all of the paraffins dissolve and the oil is again 100% liquid.

These key temperature points coupled with the atmospheric distillation data, will allow us to monitor trends in production and also to verify that the most performant cold property additives are used.

The additives are sourced either from our own blending plants, where the products are made under license or from one of our suppliers. The additive supply market is becoming more strictly controlled with the advent of REACH within Europe. From April 2008 every kilogram of additive will need to be monitored and declared as entering or leaving the European Community. Similar restrictions already exist in Australia and it is only a matter of time the US offers imposes similar tracing/tracking procedures. This control means that all additive components will need to be declared and monitored.

Gasoils

The properties that are treated in Gasoils are:

• Cloud Point
• CFPP - Cold Filter Plugging Point
• Pour Point
• Cetane number
• Lubricity
• Conductivity
• Marker dyes for customs and excise purposes
• Anti oxidants

Fuel oils & Crude oils

• Pour Point
• H₂S scavenging

For further information about any of the terms mentioned in the above text please refer to the Glossary or click on the linked words.