Oil & Gas Production

Operation - Surface Facilities

Treatment of Crude Oil

Desalting, Sweetening & Stabilization
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Outline

ƒ Introduction
ƒ Surface Petroleum Operations
ƒ Desalting of Crude Oil
ƒ 2-Stages Desalting System
ƒ Desalting Techniques
ƒ Sweetening & Stabilization of Crude Oil
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Surface Petroleum Operations

Gas
Treating

Well Phase Oil

Head Gathering Treating
Separation

Water
Treating

Sand
Clean & Disposal
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Desalting of Crude Oil

ƒ Salt content < 10 PTB (Pounds/1000 BBl)

ƒ PTB function of:
• Water remains
• Salinity
ƒ Salts: fouling effects- Corrosion
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Salt Contents
Equivalent Sodium Chloride, PTB

Salinity of Brine, 103 X ppm

Equivalent Sodium Chloride
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

2-Stages Desalting System

Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Desalting

ƒ The major components of a wet crude train are:

• Wet crude heater • Mixing valves

• Dehydrator • 1st stage desalter
• Chemical injection • 2nd stage desalter
pump • Dry crude storage
• Wash water system • Storage tank
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Wash Water System

ƒ Wash water is injected into the crude upstream of the
two desalters. The purpose of the wash water is to
dilute the salt concentration.
• The wash water is recycled between the desalting
vessels. (IF THERE)
• Fresh water is used for the second stage desalting.
• Salty water from the bottom of the second desalter is
recycled upstream of the first desalter to act as wash
water.
• Wash water is then sent to a tank for disposal.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Crude Oil in
(Continuous Phase)

Fresh water in
(dispersed phase)

Multiple Orifice
Plates
Mixer Multiple
Orifice plates

Highly emulsified crude oil

 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Mixing Valves
ƒ to mix the demulsifier and wash water with the wet
crude oil.
ƒ The purpose of the mixing valve is to agitate the crude
stream,
ƒ A controller maintains a differential pressure across
each valve to:
• Sets the water droplets in motion.
• Distributes the demulsifier through the crude.
• Distributes the wash water to rinse the salt out of
the crude.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Mixing Valves

ƒ for the dehydrator is normally bypassed.

ƒ There is normally no demulsifier or wash water in the
crude at this point, so there is no need for the mixing
valve.
ƒ used usually when recycle wash water is added to the
crude.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities
Chemical Desalting
Water

Chemicals

Chemicals
Pump

Treated Crude

Settler
Mixing
Crude Valve
Oil

Heater Heater
Charge
Pump
Water Drain
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Electrical Desalting
Electrical
Power
Process
Water

Desalted
Crude

Unrefined
Crude

Effluent
Water

Water Emulsifier
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Typical Desalting System

Chemical Injection
Storage
Tanks

Mixing
Treated Crude Oil Heaters Device Electrical Desalter Effluent Water

Fresh Water
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Large Capacity Desalter

Capacities > 50,000 BPD

Courtesy NATCO
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Large Capacity Desalter

60,000 BPD Unit

Courtesy NATCO
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Smaller Capacity Desalter

Capacities < 50,000 BPD

Courtesy NATCO
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities
Smaller Capacity Desalters
15,000 BPD Unit

Courtesy NATCO
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Electro-Dynamic Desalter
ƒ NATCO's patented and
proprietary Electro-Dynamic®
Desalter was developed to
replace the conventional
mechanical mixing, multi-
vessel, staged system. The
Electro-Dynamic® Desalter
accomplishes this task by
providing multiple phases of
electrostatic mixing,
coalescing, and settling in a
single vessel allowing salt and
dehydration efficiencies to
approach 100%. Courtesy NATCO
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Electro-Dynamic Desalter

Two Stage Efficiency in Single Vessel

Courtesy NATCO
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Sweetening & Stabilization of Crude Oil

ƒ H2S < 10-100 PPM, weight)

ƒ Vapor pressure: ethane > H2S > Propane
ƒ Stabilization: removal of light HC
ƒ Sour crude oil: 0.05 ft H2S/ gallons of oil
ƒ RVP: 8-12 PSI
ƒ H2S: A POISON hazard
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Stabilization using Fractionation

Gases for processing and recovery (LPG) NGI

Feed: Sour crude (unstabilized)

Steam

Stabilized crude oil to coolers and storage tanks

Reboiler

130-200 º F
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Crude Cooling & Storage

ƒ Dry Crude Coolers
• The dry crude from the desalters passes through the
tubes in the wet crude/dry crude heat exchanger,
then it passes through the crude after cooler to drop
the temperature of the crude stream.

ƒ Storage Tanks
• The dry crude from the second stage desalter is
constantly monitored for total salt and water
content.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Crude Cooling & Storage

• If it meets specification then it is sent to storage

tank.
• If it does not then it must be re-processed.
• Off-spec oil is sent to wet crude storage for
recycling.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Types of Tanks

ƒ There are three main types of tank used for storing liquid
hydrocarbons.

• Floating Roof Tanks

• Cone Roof Tanks
• Domed Roof Tanks
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Picture of Floating Roof Tank

Courtesy Ishii Iron Works

 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Floating Roof Tanks

ƒ Floating roof tanks are generally used for storing volatile

liquids, like crude oil, naphtha and gasoline. The floating
roof floats on the top of the liquids so there is no space
for vapor to collect under the roof.
ƒ This has two advantages:
• It prevents vapor loss
• It prevents the formation of an explosive mixture.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Cone Roof Tanks

ƒ A cone roof tank is a metal cylinder with a cone shaped
top and a metal floor. This shape is used for two
reasons.
• Rain water will run off the sloping roof.
• The structure of the cone roof is strong and allows
thinner metal to be used for the roof, which is self
supporting. However, for large diameters tanks
support beams are used to hold up the heavy roof.
ƒ Cone roof tanks are used to store non-volatile liquids of
low vapor pressure like kerosene, gas oil and fuel oil.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Cone Roof Tanks

ƒ Cone roof tanks are never completely filled,
ƒ vapors collect under the roof.
ƒ A vent pipe installed at the peak of the roof allows any
vapor to escape to atmosphere.
ƒ A flame arrester is fitted to the end of the pipe. Mesh
screens or baffles inside the arrester allow gas to pass,
but do not allow a spark to pass through.
ƒ This flame arrester has to be cleaned on regular basis to
keep it operable.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Cone Roof Tanks

ƒ Most products are blends or mixtures of different
fractions. When a product is stored for a long time, the
different components may separate and cause the
product to go off specification. So a mixer is built into
the tank to agitate the product and keep it
homogenous.
ƒ Heaters are used where heavy viscous liquids are stored.
The heaters keep the liquid thin and with low viscosity
so that it can be pumped easily . It will also be easy to
mix.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Cone Roof Tanks - Picture

Courtesy Ishii Iron Works

 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Dome Roof Tanks

ƒ A dome roof tank is a closed cylinder with a rounded
top. They are used to store high vapor pressure
hydrocarbons.
ƒ Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanks are heavily
insulated to prevent ambient heat from entering the
tank. There is still constant vaporization (boil off) of
some of the propane/butane liquid. One volume of
liquid changes to about 200 volumes of vapor.
Therefore, as product boils off it creates pressure in
the tank.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Dome Roof Tanks

• The tank is provided with the following:
- Nitrogen supply for purging before maintenance works.

- Heating elements in the soil under the floor of each tank

to keep the foundation temperature about 40ºF. The
purpose of the heating electric element is to prevent ice
formation in the foundation.

- Pressure relief valve which prevents the pressure of the

vapors from exceeding the set point about 1.1 psig.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Dome Roof Tanks

- Liquid propane and liquid butane are stored at low
temperature below their boiling points of +30F/butane
and -40F/propane.
- Therefore the tanks must be well insulated to keep the
products cool and to prevent boil off.
- Most dome roof tanks have mixing pumps that take
suction from the bottom and return it to the tank at a
higher point. This process helps to keep the product in
the tank at a uniform temperature. Mixing pumps are
also used to transfer liquid from one tank to another.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Dome Roof Tanks - Diagram

RVS to flare Vacuum Relief RVS RVS to Atmosphere

To Flare

Make up Gas
To Vapor
To Vapor Recovery
Recovery

From
Refrigeration Unit
Flash pumps
To loading pump
Pump Out
Temporary Inert TANK FOUNDATION
Gas (Nitrogen)
Supply Heating Elements
Dome Tank Systems
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Dome Roof Tanks - Picture

ƒ Dome Tank
ƒ Dome tanks
are used to
store high
vapor
pressure
naphtha

Courtesy Ishii Iron Works

 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Dome Roof Tanks - Picture

Pre-Stressed Concrete Tanks

ƒ Dome Tank
ƒ Dome tanks are used to
store refrigerated
liquefied petroleum gases
and LNG Courtesy Ishii Iron Works
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Tank Mixers
1. Application and process variables:
ƒ The side entry propeller mixers are provided in the tank
farm in order to control or prevent the accumulation of
bottom sludge and water pockets (B.S & W) in tanks.
ƒ In general, all side entry mixer applications require
between 0.25 and 1.0 h.p. per 1000 bbls. For each
application there is a minimum horsepower, below which
no matter how long the mixer is operated a blend or
homogeneity will never be achieved. For product storage
tanks this figure is ¼ h.p / 1000 bbl.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Tank Mixers

ƒ The following process variables affect the efficiency of

a mixer:
a) Viscosity

The viscosity of the product will also have an effect on

the required power. The higher the viscosity, the
greater will be the resistance to the flow generated by
the propeller, and thus a higher horsepower is needed.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Tank Mixers
b) Density Difference

ƒ The density spread can have a considerable effect on the

final mixer horsepower. The wider the difference
between the density of the components to be mixed, the
more horsepower is required to break the interface
between the components and to achieve homogeneity. If
inadequate horsepower is installed, insufficient fluid
velocity would be promoted, which will not be enough to
break down the interface.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Tank Mixers
Advantages of mixing

ƒ In most crude oils, there is varying quantities of bottom

sludge and water (B.S & W), which contains paraffin,
heavy ends, sediments of sand, salt and water. The rate
of accumulation varies with the quality of the crude oil
supplied.
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Tank Mixers

ƒ Some of the main reasons why B.S & W should be

controlled are:

• A tank is always available for storage and not out of

commission being cleaned or repaired.
• Accumulation of B.S & W, cause severe corrosion of
tank floor and lower shell plates.
• Hazardous and costly tank cleaning is practically
eliminated.
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Operation - Surface Facilities

Flow Pattern for Blending or Homogenizing

Fixed Angle Mixer

 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Flow Pattern for Sludge Removal

Variable Angle Mixer

 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

Tank Mixing Power Requirements

ƒ Horsepower requirements for a particular application
depend on the following mixing variables:
• Blend time
• Tank height/diameter ratio and tank volume
(Z/T ratio)
• Viscosity
• Density difference
• Impeller orientation
ƒ Motor horsepower is determined by applying the formula:
ƒ Power = (Volume Factor) x (Time Factor) x (Viscosity
Factor) x (Density Difference Factor)
 Oil & Gas Production
Operation - Surface Facilities

End of This
Section