Black Powder Solutions

Sustainable alternative to conventional filtration

Black Powder Solutions Inc. (BPS) is a Canadian company that designs and manufactures patented magnetic separator systems as an inline, full-flow solution for removing Black Powder™ (black powder) contamination from hydrocarbon fluids and gases, refined products, petrochemicals and water.

BPS magnetic separator systems are the sustainable, optimal solution for contamination removal. They are designed to remove contaminants down to sub-micron sizes with 95+% efficiency insingle pass applications and they operate with a bare minimum of flow restriction. Our magnetic separators protect pumps, valves and process equipment from failure along all stages of the hydrocarbon value chain and eliminate the need for conventional, depth-media filtration.

Deployment of BPS technology will ultimately improve system operations, increase production, improve product quality, support safety initiatives and reduce environmental impact.

Black Powder Contamination

Black powder is an oil and gas industry term for the abrasive, reactive contamination present in all hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon derivatives. It is a mix of various forms of iron sulfide and iron oxide, along with other compounds and substances including chlorides, sodium, calcium, mill scale, sand, glycol and varying types of ‘dirt’, such as silica and other particulate. It is also known as rouge, black dirt, brown dirt, red dirt and various other names.

Black powder initially forms as a sulfur-based corrosion product from microbial and chemical interactions.
It continues to build as as iron sulfide and iron oxide through hydrocarbon pipelines and facilities.

Black powder originates in producing formations and precipitates out throughout the hydrocarbon value chain: during transportation, processing, storage, fractionation, refining, petrochemical production and loading and offloading.

SOURCES OF BLACK POWDER

Corrosion

Bacteria formation: Sulfur and acid producing bacteria are dependent on water and iron reactions to originate the formation of black powder contamination.
Chemical formation: moisture, hydrogen sulfide and temperature and/or pressure variance are further catalysts for the development of black powder.

Erosion

Once formed, black powder continues to build due to both corrosion and erosion as hydrocarbons progress downstream – all piping and equipment is vulnerable to its erosional impacts.
If not removed at various spots in the hydrocarbon value chain, it will continue to build due to erosional forces and eventually plug off pipelines, meters, valves, heat exchanges, reboilers and other equipment, including conventional depth media filters.