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Challenges of Desalting Canadian Crudes

Gary W. Sams
Director R&D
 99% Oil
Heavy Oil PFD 1% Water
• Smallest water drops
• Mostly emulsified Treater
• Solids stabilized
90% Oil 9% Water
10% Water
Gas
• Smaller water drops
Separator • Shifted to oil external
72% Oil
28% Water 20% Water

Gas
• Oil lighter than water
FWKO • High inlet water cut
• Oil internal
25% Oil • Temperatures < 143 C
75% Water 65% Water
Crude Oil Quality Association
 Degassing / Dehydration
Dual Frequency
Gas Oil

Collector

Inlet
Electrodes

HiFlo Spreader

Water Water

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Cyclonic Gas Removal

Crude Oil Quality Association

Desalter Design Issues
t or s
K(  w   o ) gd 2
g Fac
Settling Rate  f yin
 Em ulsi
Tem
pera Water Solubility
Visc ture vs

St
osity .

ok
Ec  
e’
s
d
La
w
ea tm ent
e m i c al Tr
Ch
Program
2 6
KE r
Fcoalescing  4
d
Crude Oil Quality Association
 Solids & Oil in Effluent
Small micron particulates,
crystalline salt, and
heavy solids loads

Substantial
asphaltene
precipitation

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Reverse Emulsion
16 API SAGD DilBit

Crude Oil Quality Association

 Water Droplet Growth

Initial Droplet Distribution

Droplet Population, %

50

40

30
Final Droplet Distribution

20

10

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600
Droplet Diameter, microns

Crude Oil Quality Association

Demulsifier Selection
Kuwait Oil - 25ºAPI

Bottle Test Electrostatic

Bench Test
Water in Oil BS&W
Chemical % By Difference Measured %
Brand A 3.6
Best Performance
1.4
Brand B 4.0 1.51
Brand C 4.8 1.51
Brand D 5.5 0.7
Best Performance
Based on lab tests – Initial BS&W – 10%
Crude Oil Quality Association
Electrostatic Field Selection

Our Choices Include…

• AC – Conventional & Deep-Field
• DC Only (with refined products)
• Dual Polarity® - Combination AC/DC
• Modulated Dual Polarity®
• Electro-Dynamic Desalting®
• Dual Frequency®

Crude Oil Quality Association

AC Electrostatic Forces

Positive Forces
& Velocities

Electrostatic Voltage Field, V/ m

Drag
Force
Dipole
Drop
Force
Droplet
Velocity Radius, r
Electrode #1

Drop Spacing, S

Electrode #2
Droplet
Weight, WD Vertical oil
velocity, vv

Negative Forces
& Velocities

Crude Oil Quality Association

DC Electrostatic Forces

Positive Forces
& Velocities

Electrostatic Voltage Field, V/ m

Drag
Force Electrophoresis
Force

Drop Droplet
Velocity Radius, r
Electrode #1

Drop Spacing, S

Electrode #2
Droplet
Weight, WD Vertical oil
velocity, vv

Negative Forces
& Velocities

Crude Oil Quality Association

Gradient Electrostatic Forces

Positive Forces
& Velocities Di-electrophoresis
Force
Electrostatic Voltage Field, V/ m
Drag
Force

Drop
Droplet
Velocity
Electrode #1

Drop Spacing, S Radius, r

Electrode #2
Droplet
Weight, WD Vertical oil
velocity, vv

Di-electrophoresis
Force
Negative Forces
& Velocities

Crude Oil Quality Association

Net Electrostatic Forces

Positive Forces
& Velocities
Di-electrophoresis
Force
Electrostatic Voltage Field, V/ m
Drag
Force Electrophoresis
Dipole Force
Force
Drop Droplet
Velocity Radius, r
Electrode #1

Drop Spacing, S

Electrode #2
Droplet
Weight, WD Vertical oil
velocity, vv

Di-electrophoresis
Force
Negative Forces
& Velocities

Crude Oil Quality Association

 Electrostatic Coalescence
Net Drop Forces in Voltage Field
Viscous Drag
+ -

Volts
Volts

- + - +

Dipolar
Electrophoretic
Attraction
Force Weight
Dipole Electrophoretic
Voltage Field Direction Force Direction Force
Alternating Current Oscillates 0.4 weight Reverses Net is zero
Direct Current Constant 0.4 weight Constant 7230 weight

Crude Oil Quality Association

 AC/DC Electrostatic Field
Oil Flux

} Bulk Water
Removal

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Desalter Hydraulic Efficiency

Crude Oil Quality Association

 Excessive Oil Conductivity
1800
1600
Conductivity, nS/m

1400 Typical
1200 High
1000
800
600
400
200
0
50 100 150 200 250 300
Temperature, F

Crude Oil Quality Association

 Heavy Oil Dehydrator Performance
Ref: SPE Paper 97786
1
Solid Curves Predicted by Electrostatic
0.9
Oil API – 21 Dehydrator Computer Model
TAN - 4
Outlet BS&W (%)

0.8 Dual
AC Dual Polarity Frequency
0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

Field AC Dehydrator @ 239 F

0.3
AC Dehydrator @ 219F
Modulated
0.2 AC/DC @ 218F
Dual Modulated AC/DC @ 220F
0.1 Polarity Bimodal AC/DC @ 220F

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300

Oil Flux (bopd/sf)

Crude Oil Quality Association
Technology Retrofit
A Commercial Installation

Gravity = 12ºAPI
Before Retrofit* After Retrofit*
Technology: Dual Polarity Dual Frequency
Temperature: 220ºF 200ºF
Oil Flow: 4000 BOPD 9200 BOPD
Outlet BS&W: 1% 0.1%

*Data is per vessel. There are four vessels.

Crude Oil Quality Association
 SAGD -Dilbit Desalting Pilot Results

Process Parameters:
Dilbit API: 16 , Temp: 280F, Flux: 70 bopd/ft2
Feed Outlet
Stage Tech. BS&W, % Salt, ppm Cl- BS&W, % Salt, ppm Cl-
1 AC 5.8 220 0.4 6

Wash Water: 5 % Recycle: 5 % Valve DP: 10 psi

2 DF 0.4 6 0.35 1

Mixing Efficiency = 25%

Crude Oil Quality Association

Desalter Technology Comparison
Inlet Outlet
BSW
Salt Salt
AC 258 41 0.5
AC‐
258 12 0.4
pAC
DF 211 6.3 0.4
EDD‐
200 3.2 0.4
EDD
DF‐DF 210 2.8 0.3
EDD‐
200 2.4 0.3
DF
DF‐
210 2 0.4
EDD

Crude Oil Quality Association

 Conclusions
Heavy Canadian crudes pose unique challenges:
• High Oil Conductivities
• Asphaltene Precipitation
• High Solids Loading
• Reverse Emulsions
• Increased Interface Rag
• Poor Effluent Water Quality

Crude Oil Quality Association