Abstract: Separate type heat tube heater is introduced to counter the current problems in crude oil heaters used in long distance crude oil pipeline, including excessive size, coking, low heating efficiency, poor safety level, etc. Described in the paper are heat transfer mechanisms of heat tube, working principles of the heater as well as its structural characteristics. Separate type heat exchanger not only has a heat conduction efficiency as high as that of a single heating tube, but has a good adaptability to large scale heat-exchange, thus realizing distant heat exchange between two fluids, With its heat absorb end and cooling end placed in two different containers, this kind of heat exchanger is featured by enclosed structure, no heat leakage, complete thermal isolation, and safety. As a result, not only has the heat medium heater's advantages of energy saving and safety been achieved, but also the heavy duty pump for heat medium circulation is avoided. In addition, also realized are higher comprehensive efficiency and performance-price ratio, smaller size, and less expanses for heat medium replacement.