4 replies to this topic

[Elnori]

Hello to Everyone.oil field has 10 stations, produces about 38.000 bbl/d. In my field salt is about 29 Ptb.  is it High ?  and I am looking for a new model to control salt and Eliminate it in crude oil.At the moment we use electrical deslter, it is old device.so what is the best Idea to control salt in crude oil before going to storage in Tanks.

 

Thanks

[gegio1960]

Electric desalting is the unmatched way to remove salts from crude. Maybe your old one need a revamp.

I've read of other possibilities like ultrasounds and coalescing... but I don't think they've been extensively applied.

[Elnori]

Dear Gegio1960. Deslaters in a field working ok, no need for repairing, in the same time, the dailly amount of salt about 29 Ptb. Can you give me idea about other possiblilities like ultrasounds and coalescing ?

[kkala]

W L Nelson's "Petroleum Refinery Engineering" (4th ed, McGraw-Hill, 1958), "Desalting of crude oil" (p. 265-268) briefly decribes settling and use of chemicals for coalescing. The latter seemed to be an alternative to electric desalters (20-30 kV electric field) in 1958, both having a crude salt removal efficiency of about  90%. Nowadays only electric desalters have been seen in local refineries.

Average salt content in USA crudes (ibid, table 4-6) varies from 1 to 261 ptb (pounds salt per 1000 bbl). Salt content of 29 ptb is understood upstream desalting, being in the median of figures presented in table 4-6 (not high).

According to Nelson, desalting usually reduces crude salt content to about one-tenth (efficiency 90%). Existing desalter can work well, but at low efficiency due to old age. You could check this by repeated mass balance based on measured quantities, <http://www.cheresour...r-mass-balance/>.

Ultrasound application was finally considered non feasible on industrial alumina crystallization <http://www.cheresour...mina#entry52003>. Large scale application had obstacles. But no knowledge / experience on breaking crude-water emulsions through ultrasounds.

Not having oil field experience, above is hopefully useful.

Edited by kkala, 10 March 2013 - 10:11 AM.

[Elnori]

Dear Kkala. Thank you for good information.

 

Best Regards