Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles

Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles - At some point in the life of every oil well an unacceptable amount of water will be produced..

Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles

At some point in the life of every oil well an unacceptable amount of water will be produced with the oil. Water usually seeps into the formation as oil and gas are produced from the reservoir. Generally, the older the well the more water produced. As well fluids move through the formation, artificial lift equipment, etc., oil and water are mixed. Production separators are used to separate the mixed fluids. Two-phase separators separate natural gas from the liquids. Three-phase separators separate natural gas and the liquids, e.g., oil from free water.

Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles - Virda

Well fluids which do not easily separate, referred to as emulsions, must be treated before they will separate into the various components. Electrostatic treaters are used to treat or break emulsions. Treating emulsions is an expensive process. To ensure treating is done at the lowest cost, prop-erly sized equipment must be installed, maintained and monitored. Complete records should be kept for each lease, e.g., chemical usage, fuel gas, etc.

Water in Oil Emulsion - Virda

Emulsions

Some water produced with oil readily separates from the oil and is referred to as    free water. On the other hand, some water produced is mixed in such a way with the oil that treating is necessary to separate them. Such a combination of oil and water is called an emulsion.
In an emulsion one of the liquids is spread out, or dispersed, throughout the other in the form of small dropiets. In oil field emulsions, water is usually dispersed in oil and is referred to as a water-in-oil emulsion. When the opposite happens, an oil-in-water emulsion is formed. Emulsions may be tight (difficult to break) or loose (easy to break) depending on the type and amount of emulsifying agent present.

Emulsifying Agents

An emulsifying agent is a substance that promotes the formation and stability of an emulsion. This is accomplished by the emulsifying agent collecting on the surface of water droplets and forming a tough film which keeps the droplets from joining.

Emulsifying agents commonly found in oil field emulsions include asphalt, resins, paraffins, and oil soluble organic acids. Different emulsifying agents occur naturally in different reservoirs.

Breaking an Emulsion - Virda

In order to break an emulsion, the film must be neutralized or destroyed by using treatment methods. Treating is usually done in the field using various types of equipment (free-water knockouts, separators, heater treaters, electrostatic treaters, etc.) and by adding chemicals to the emulsion immediately after it is produced.
Emulsifying Agents Principle - Virda

Emulsion Stability

A stable emulsion is one which will not break down or separate without some form of treating. The stability of an emulsion is dependent on several factors :
  • Emulsifying agent. The effect depends on the type of agent and conditions under which the emulsion is produced. The formation of a stable emulsion would be very difficult without an emulsifying agent.
  • Viscosity of oil. Oil with a high viscosity (resistance to flow) tends to keep water droplets in suspension creating a more stable emulsion.
  • A.P.I. gravity of oil. Oil with a low A.P.I. gravity tends to keep water dropiets in suspension creating a more stable emulsion.
  • Water percentage. Generally, a smaller percentage of water in an emulsion means greater stability.
  • Agitation. Increased agitation means greater dispersement of water and greater stability.
  • Droplet size. Emulsions containing small water droplets are more stable because small droplets are lighter and will not settle out as easily.
  • Age of emulsion. The longer an emulsion remains untreated, the harder it is to break.

Treating Emulsions

Water produced from reservoirs may vary from a small fraction of one percent to 99 percent. Pipeline companies do not pay for water; therefore, most or the water must be removed before it can be delivered to the pipeline. In most cases this requires treating an emulsion.
An emulsion should be tested frequently. No two emulsions are alike. Even the emulsion from a single weli changes over time thereby requiring changes in the treatment process. The treating process must be monitored carefully since revenue is affected by the gravity of oil. Natural gas also generates considerable revenue for our company and must be monitored closely to ensure maximum yield and minimal waste.
Treating emulsions may include one or more of the following procedures: allowing settling time, applying heat, injecting chemicals, using electricity, or operating mechanical devices.

Emulsion Settling Time - Virda

Settling Time

The time needed to completely separate an emulsion is called settling time. The settling rate of a water-in-oil emulsion is affected by viscosity, size of water droplets, and gravity. If the oil has a high viscosity (thick), then the water droplets cannot move without considerable resistance and wilt not settle out easily. Settling rate is also affected by the size of the water droplets. Smaller droplets are lighter and take longer to separate through settling. If the difference in A.P.I. gravity between water and oil (the gravity differential) is small, separa-tion is slow. However, water weighs more than oil and will eventually settle to the bottom of a vessel. Some emulsions can be adequately treated with settling alone. Others need additional treatment procedures which are designed to speed up the settling process.

Applying Heat

The ideal way to treat oil is without heat; however, treatment frequently requires heat to speed up separation. Heat by itself will not break an emulsion, but it aids in several ways: (1) Heat causes water droplets to move faster and strike each other with greater frequency and force. When the droplets collide, the film of emulsifying agent ruptures, and larger, heavier droplets form. They then yield to gravity differential and settle out; (2) Heat lowers the viscosity of oil and allows the water droplets to settle out more easily; and (3) Heat speeds up chemical action. Chemicals make the fiim of emulsifying agent around water droplets rigid. When heat is applied, the water droplets expand and break the film. The droplets can then merge into larger ones and settle out.

Heat must be applied only as needed because too much heat will waste energy (fuel) and cause greater wear on the equipment. Also, excessive heat can cook off the lighter ends of crude oil
which will change the oil's gravity and result in lost revenue.

Adding Chemicals

Emulsion breaking chemicals are injected into the well stream ahead of the electrostatic treater. They react with the film around water droplets, destroying or neutralizing the film, thereby al-lowing the droplets to coalesce (combine) and separate from the oil. There must be sufficient agitation to allow the chemical to come into contact with each water droplet. The amount and type of chemical required directly affects how well the emulsion breaks and the time needed for settling. Also, the warmer the emulsion, the less chemical is needed. Chemicals must be applied only as needed because too much chemical is wasteful and could cause an oil-in-water emulsion to form. This would allow oil to leave the vessel through the water outlets, resulting in lost revenue\and environmental pollution.

Using Electricity

Electricity, usually used in conjunction with heat and chemicals, will separate oil and water. The vessel used to do this is called an electrostatic treater and will be discussed in sections two and three of this module.

Using Mechanical Devices

Devices such as gun barrels and free-water knockouts are used in the treatment of emulsions. A gun barrel is basically a settling tank used to separate oil and water in the field. After emulsified oil has been heated and treated with chemicals, it is pumped to the gun barrel where water and oil separate by gravity setting. Gun barrels are largely being replaced by heater treaters or electrostatic treaters but are still common, especially in older fields.A free-water knockout is a gravity-type separator used to remove excessive water from the produced fluid ahead of the treating unit. Sometimes a filter or excelsior, called hay, is used to catch particles of oil that may be entrained in the free water as it passes through the filter. The free water is drained off and only emulsion passes on to the treating unit. This device prevents over-loading of the treating vessel and saves fuel.

  • [accordion]
    • 1. Emulsions Electrostatic Treater Principles Video
      • Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles - Virda
    • 2. Separation of Water-in-Oil Emulsions
    • 3. Optimizing Demulsifier

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Virda Chemical Park: Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles
Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles
Emulsions and Electrostatic Treater Principles - At some point in the life of every oil well an unacceptable amount of water will be produced..
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