Southwest Research Institute Develops New Process for Treating Heavy Crude Oils SwRI’s EZ Flow treatment process is intended to cut down on cost and energy intensity of heavy-crude pipeline transportation. July 19, 2021 In the photo, additive is being blended into heavy crude oil in this step of the SwRI-developed EZ Flow. The process treats heavy crude oils by using hydrodynamic cavitation mixing of heavy crude oil with a low-concentration chemical formulation to make a product that can be transported through existing pipeline. SOURCE: Southwest Research Institute. Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists and engineers have developed what they describe as a new, economic method for processing heavy crude oil using a proprietary chemical treatment and mechanical technique. SwRI used internal research funding to develop its EZ Flow process, which makes pipeline transportation of the commodity more cost-effective and less energy-intensive than current techniques, said James Wood, a principal scientist in SwRI’s Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division. .