Methods of Oil and Water Treatment

Surface Handling of Produced Fluids

PETE 4085

Objectives

n Understand the requirements for treating

oil for sale and water for use or disposal.
n Understand the conceptual methods of
separating (treating) oil and water in
produced fluid streams.
n Understand the basic functional design
and operation of the various kinds of oil
and water treatment equipment
commonly found in the field.

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Quality Requirements for Oil Sales

n Qualitative
n Remove undesirables
n Gas
n Water
n Solids
n Contaminants (salt, sulfur, H2S)
n Typical
n S&W < 1% (formerly called BS&W)
n Additional
n Vapor pressure and pour point

Quality of Recycled or Disposed Water

n Qualitative
n Remove undesirables
n Solids
n Oil
n Contaminants
n Typical
n The EPA and/or MMS enforces discharge
limits
n 29 ppm oil in water monthly average
n 42 ppm oil in water daily maximum

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Oil Specifications for Sales
(Manning and Thompson, Vol. 2, p. 64)

n S&W (solids and water) in Chapter 7

n Chapter 7 (covered today)
n Salt content (dilute & wash, solution stripping)
n Chapter 8 (not covered)
n Will not be covered
n H2S content (gas stripping or heating)
n Chapter 9
n We will not cover this.
n Vapor pressure (stabilization)
n Chapter 9
n We will not cover this.

Water Specifications for Disposal/Recycle

(Manning and Thompson, Vol. 2, p. 64-65)

n Oil and grease content

n Usually controlled by enhanced gravity
settling
n Volume 3 not printed yet but we’ll discuss
today.
n Solids content
n Gravity settling
n Scale-forming solutes (corrosion)
n Chemical inhibition (beyond our scope)

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Methods for Removing Water from Oil
and Oil from Water
n Mechanical (improved gravity separation)
n Longer residence time
n Coalescent filters
n Flotation with gas or air
n Shorter rise distance
n Thermal (reduce oil viscosity & density)
n Chemical (emulsion breaker/demulsifier)
n Electrical (AC or DC field for attraction
and coalescence)

Removing Water Emulsified in Oil –

Which Methods are Appropriate?
n Mechanical (improved gravity separation)
n Longer residence time – bigger volume
n Coalescent filters – Water-wet
n Flotation with gas or air – NO!! – must avoid
n Shorter rise distance – No, too slow
n Thermal (reduced oil viscosity & density)
n Chemical (emulsion breaker/demulsifier)
n Electrical (AC or DC field for attraction
and coalescence)

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Equipment Used to Remove Water
Emulsified in Oil (Chapter 7)
n Longer residence time -
n FWKO – removes more free water
n Wash tank – contact with water for
“stripping”
n Coalescent filters – possible option
n Heater Treaters
n Thermal – reduced oil viscosity & density
n Chemical – inject high MW, oil-in-water,
emulsifier (opposite effect) upstream
n Electrical – AC or DC field for attraction and
coalescence (1000X stronger than gravity)

Oil Treatment (Dehydration) with

NATCO “Performax” Coalescing Plates

“EXCELSIOR” (WOOD CHIPS) and “HAY” ARE

ALSO USED FOR COALESCING “ELEMENTS”

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Oil Treatment (Dehydration) with
NATCO “Performax” Coalescing Plates
in a FWKO or Treater

Oil Treatment (Dehydration) with

NATCO Dual Polarity Electrostatic
Treater

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Oil Treatment (Dehydration) with
NATCO “Electromax” Heater-Treater

Equipment to Remove Water

Dispersed in a Light Oil
n Mechanical - improved gravity separation
n Longer residence time
n Coalescent filters - Water-wet
n Flotation with gas or air
n Shorter rise distance
n Thermal - reduced oil viscosity & density
n Chemical - emulsion breaker/de-
emulsifier
n Electrical - AC or DC field for attraction
and coalescence

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 REMOVING OIL FROM WATER

Water Treatment Options

Hydrocyclone
Plate Intercepter

Flotation Cell
Filtration
Unit

Courtesy NATCO

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Removing Oil from Water

n Mechanical - improved gravity separation

n Longer residence time – “skimmer” tanks (big,
inefficient, poor flow distribution)
n Coalescing filtration units – (Plugging problems)
n Flotation with gas or air – Flotation cells are “best”
technology (complicated, expensive)
n Shorter rise distance – Corrugated and tilted plate
“intercepters” (simple, good with solids)
n Hydrocyclones – new technology
n Thermal- viscosity & density less important
n Chemical - emulsion breaker/de-emulsifier
n Electrical - AC or DC field (shorts out)

Water Treatment Options

Hydrocyclone

Courtesy NATCO

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Water Treatment with NATCO
“Performax” Coalescing Plates

Water Treatment with NATCO

“Performax” Coalescing Plates in a
FWKO

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Water Treatment Options
OIL OILY
OUT WATER
IN

WATER
OUT

PLATE INTERCEPTER
Courtesy NATCO

Water Treatment Options

FLOTATION CELL

Courtesy NATCO

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Water Treatment Options

FILTRATION
UNIT

Courtesy NATCO

Water Treatment Options

Courtesy NATCO

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