May 2025
Heat Exchange/Management
Greener cleaning solutions in oil and gas: A game changer for sustainability and efficiency
Cleaning and maintaining system components and equipment—such as heat exchangers—can consume significant time and resources. Conventional methods rely heavily on harsh, environmentally harmful agents. This article explores an innovative cleaning solution that offers faster, more-effective cleaning with wide-ranging environmental and operational benefits.
With mounting regulatory pressures, the oil and gas industry is facing an urgent call to enhance environmental transparency and sustainability. Across the European Union and globally, regulations mandate detailed reporting on environmental impact, driven by frameworks such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). In addition to the demand for transparency, companies are contending with rising carbon taxes and potential penalties for failing to meet sustainability benchmarks. For those that delay action, the operational and financial costs are expected to escalate in the coming years.
Although awareness of these environmental challenges is high, many companies struggle to identify actionable ways to reduce their environmental footprint. One powerful yet often overlooked opportunity is to improve the cleaning processes that are vital to maintaining equipment efficiency. Cleaning and maintaining system components and equipment—such as heat exchangers—can consume significant time and resources. Conventional methods rely heavily on harsh, environmentally harmful agents. This article explores an innovative cleaning solution that offers faster, more-effective cleaning with wide-ranging environmental and operational benefits.
The role of cleaning in the oil and gas industry. In refineries and chemical plants, strict environmental and safety regulations are critical for compliance and operational integrity. These standards are enforced through audits by organizations such as TÜV that require refineries to undergo extensive turnaround processes planned months in advance. Turnarounds and routine maintenance are vital to ensure safe, efficient operations. Cleaning is a key component of these activities, as the buildup of dirt and contaminants can impair equipment performance and increase safety risks. Given these high stakes, effective cleaning practices are essential to balance efficiency, safety and environmental impact.
Rethinking heat exchanger cleaning: A more efficient approach. Traditional heat exchanger cleaning methods are labor-intensive and involve multiple steps. Typically, mechanical cleaning requires removing bundles or plates, followed by cleaning, inspection and reassembly. This multi-step process can extend the downtime of heat exchangers. During this period, the equipment remains offline: if the heat exchanger is on the critical path of the turnaround schedule, production stalls, leading to substantial costs (FIG. 1).
FIG. 1. A plate heat exchanger.
A new, innovative cleaning technology reduces the need for these labor-intensive steps and for the cleaning of other equipment and parts by using a specially designed cleaning fluid.
Additionally, if further inspection of bundles or plates is necessary, this approach still reduces downtime by shortening cleaning times at the cleaning stations. In optimal cases, this method significantly reduces cleaning time, downtime and associated costs such as labor and mechanical expenses.
Physical lift-off: A gentle yet effective cleaning mechanism. The effectiveness of this new cleaning technology stems from its innovative "physical lift-off" mechanism, which contrasts with traditional chemical dissolution methods. The cleaning fluid uses a customized formulation of ingredients that dynamically form a net-like structure. This structure infiltrates, fragments and lifts off stubborn contaminants, enabling a physical lift-off that effectively removes impurities without the aggressive chemical reactions that can damage sensitive materials.
Unlike traditional, harsh solvents, this fluid gently lifts off organic contaminants while preserving the integrity of the underlying surfaces. This approach is especially beneficial for sensitive equipment, as it helps prevent wear and material degradation.
Health, safety and environmental benefits of greener cleaning. This new generation of water-based, environmentally friendly, non-explosive cleaning solutions offers significant health, safety and sustainability benefits. These solutions avoid harsh acids and bases, are gentle on skin and reduce respiratory risks. They lower hazards for workers, leading to fewer workplace absences due to accidents, injuries or stress.
In addition to these safety benefits, the fluid is non-flammable, reducing the risk of explosions in confined refinery environments. Its low odor contributes to a more comfortable work setting. Minimal labeling requirements and compatibility with various equipment types make it a versatile solution for cleaning rotating and static equipment, contaminated surfaces and internal piping.
Additional benefits of the new technology. The green cleaning solution offers further operational efficiencies and environmental advantages. Its production process requires no heating, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to traditional cleaning agents. Effective across a broad temperature range [5°C–50°C (41°F–122°F)], it performs reliably under heavy contaminant loads, ensuring robust functionality in varied field conditions. Furthermore, it can be paired with other cleaning methods, such as ultrasonic technology, scrubbing and high-pressure applications.
This solution also enables up to 40%–80% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to conventional products, helping companies meet sustainability targets and lower their overall carbon footprint. Its gentle formulation not only safeguards workers and equipment, but also facilitates safer handling, storage and transport due to its stable composition and compatibility with sensitive materials.
Proven applications. The author’s company is a pioneer of cleaning technologies that have been successfully applied in various areas, including rust removal, degreasing, adhesive and coating removal, and addressing toxic polymer residues like popcorn polymers in petrochemical pipelines. In 2024, the company entered into a multi-year cooperation with one of Europe’s largest industrial companies. Since then, its cleaning agents have been tested in the customer’s facilities and are being used effectively for tasks such as cleaning heat exchangers, removing adhesives, addressing rust and degreasing surfaces.
Takeaways. For companies in the oil and gas sector, adopting sustainable cleaning agents enables faster, more efficient maintenance cycles and reduces downtime, while also delivering notable environmental, social and governance (ESG) benefits.
As the industry works to meet ambitious sustainability targets, innovative cleaning technologies present a clear, actionable path forward. By reducing environmental impact and enhancing operational efficiency, these solutions align seamlessly with evolving industry goals. Embracing environmentally friendly cleaning agents represents a proactive step toward safer, cleaner and more efficient operations.
The Author
JÖRG SUMMER is the Sales Director at Intelligent Fluids. He is an accomplished sales manager with distinguished experience of more than 20 yr, bringing profitable innovations to the oil and gas, chemistry, energy and plant building industries.
Comments