How Brightshield Restored Critical Exchanger Flow and Prevented Water Treatment Upsets

Q: How much did flow improve?

Exchanger A flow increased 150%. Exchanger B flow increased 400%.

Q: How long did the cleaning take?

Each exchanger was cleaned and back in service in under 24 hours.

Q: Was mechanical lancing needed?

No. The BrightShield Process removed the fouling chemically, without lancing.

Q: Why did restoring flow matter for water treatment?

Better exchanger capacity improved cooling and reduced the risk of thermal shock in the skim tank, which lowered the risk of process upsets.

At a glance

A pair of severely restricted heat exchangers at an oil sands facility threatened thermal balance and water treatment stability. Guardian Chemicals Brightshield Process, restored flow up to 5X faster without mechanical lancing. The exchangers were back online in under 24 hours with reduced labour and lower risk of process upset.

Key metrics

<24 HOURS

TO RESTORE FLOW

UP TO 400% INCREASE

IN HEAT EXCHANGER CAPACITY

ELIMINATED

PROCESS UPSET RISK

What fouled exchangers do to an oil sands water system

Oil sands facilities use heat exchangers to control water temperature through the process. When exchangers foul with organic and inorganic deposits, flow drops and heat transfer suffers. The water downstream arrives at the wrong temperature.

That creates knock-on problems. Cold water entering a skim tank can cause thermal shock and solids precipitation, which upsets water treatment. As production grows, the gap between what the exchangers can pass and what the plant needs gets wider.

At this facility, expansion had pushed two fouled exchangers down to 6 to 12 m³/h, well below design. Mechanical cleaning had been labour-intensive and had not restored performance.

Challenges

Facility expansion strained water systems as fouled exchangers restricted flow to as low as 6–12 m³/h, well below design capacity. This limited throughput increased the risk of thermal shock, solids precipitation, and water treatment upsets. Previous mechanical cleaning was labour-intensive and failed to restore performance.

Solutions

Guardian Chemicals Brightshield Process, an advanced chemical cleaning program was applied. Designed for rapid turnaround and effective removal of organic and inorganic fouling, no mechanical lancing was required, and each exchanger was cleaned and restored to service in under 24 hours.

Results

Efficiency Recovered, Risk Reduced

Brightshield restored exchanger capacity, reduced thermal shock risk in the skim tank from cold pond water, improved cooling, and eliminated the need for mechanical cleaning, ensuring reliable performance as production increases.

Flow Restored

Exchanger Unit A ⟶ Flow rate increased by 150%
Exchanger Unit B ⟶ Flow rate increased by 400%

Eliminated Process Upset Risk

Increased heat exchanger capacity by removing fouling
eliminated process upset risk from thermal shock.

Data

The chart and table below provide a visual summary of flow rate improvements achieved with the Brightshield process. These metrics validate the solution’s effectiveness and highlight the operational benefits—including faster turnaround, reduced labour, and improved system stability.