Desalting crude oil[edit]

The salts that are most frequently present in crude oil are calcium, sodium and
magnesium chlorides. If these compounds are not removed from the oil several
problems arise in the refining process. The high temperatures that occur downstream
in the process could cause water hydrolysis, which in turn allows the formation of
corrosive hydrochloric acid. Sand, silts and salt cause deposits and foul heat
exchangers. The need to supply heat to vaporize water reduces crude pre-heat
capacity. Sodium, arsenic and other metals can poison catalysts. By removing the
suspended solids, they are not carried into the burner and eventually flue gas, where
they would cause problems with environmental compliance such as flue gas opacity
norms.

Desalter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A desalter is a process unit in an oil refinery that removes salt from the crude oil. The salt
is dissolved in the water in the crude oil, not in the crude oil itself. The desalting is usually
the first process in crude oil refining. The salt content after the desalter is usually
measured in PTB - pounds of salt per thousand barrels of crude oil.[1] Another
specification is Basic sediment and water
The term desalter may also refer to a water desalination facility used to treat brackish
water from agricultural runoff. This may be done either to produce potable water for
human or animal consumption, or to reduce the salinity of river water prior to its crossing
an international border, usually to comply with the terms of a treaty. Desalters are also
used to treatgroundwater reservoirs in areas impacted by cattle feedlots and dairies.

Desalting of crude oil in refinery

Purpose of crude oil desalting
Crude oil introduced to refinery processing contains many undesirable impurities,
such as sand, inorganic salts, drilling mud, polymer, corrosion byproduct, etc. The
salt content in the crude oil varies depending on source of the crude oil. When a
mixture from many crude oil sources is processed in refinery, the salt content can
vary greatly.
The purpose of desalting is to remove these undesirable impurities, especially
salts and water, from the crude oil prior to distillation.
The most concerns of the impurities in crude oil:

The Inorganic salts can be decomposed in the crude oil pre-heat

exchangers and heaters. As a result, hydrogen chloride gas is formed which

condenses to liquid hydrochloric acid at overhead system of distillation
column, that may causes serious corrosion of equipment.
To avoid corrosion due to salts in the crude oil, corrosion control can be

used. But the byproduct from the corrosion control of oil field equipment
consists of particulate iron sulfide and oxide. Precipitation of these materials
can cause plugging of heat exchanger trains, tower trays, heater tubes, etc.
In addition, these materials can cause corrosion to any surface they are
precipitated on.
The sand or silt can cause significant damage due to abrasion or erosion

to pumps, pipelines, etc.

The calcium naphthanate compound in the crude unit residue stream, if
not removed can result in the production of lower grade coke and
deactivation of catalyst of FCC unit

Benefits of Crude Oil Desalting

Increase crude throughput

Less plugging, scaling, coking of heat exchanger and furnace tubes
Less corrosion in exchanger, fractionators, pipelines, etc.
Better corrosion control in CDU overhead
Less erosion by solids in control valves, exchanger, furnace, pumps
Saving of oil from slops from waste oil

Desalting process

The desalting process is completed in following steps:

Dillution water injection and dispersion
Emusification of diluted water in oil
Distribution of the emulsion in the electrostatic field
Electrostatic coalescence
Water droplet settling

Crude oil passes through the cold preheat train and is then pumped to the
Desalters by crude charge pumps. The recycled water from the desalters is
injected in the crude oil containing sediments and produced salty water. This fluid
enters in the static mixer which is a crude/water disperser, maximizing the
interfacial surface area for optimal contact between both liquids.
The wash water shall be injected as near as possible emulsifying device to avoid
a first separation with crude oil. Wash water can come from various sources
including relatively high salt sea water, stripping water, etc. The static mixers are
installed upstream the emulsifying devices to improve the contact between the
salt in the crude oil and the wash water injected in the line.
The oil/water mixture is homogenously emulsified in the emulsifying device. The
emulsifying device (as a valve) is used to emulsify the dilution water injected
upstream in the oil. The emulsification is important for contact between the salty
production water contained in the oil and the wash water. Then the emulsion
enters the Desalters where it separates into two phases by electrostatic
coalescence.
The electrostatic coalescence is induced by the polarization effect resulting from
an external electric source. Polarization of water droplets pulls them out from oilwater emulsion phase. Salt being dissolved in these water droplets, is also
separated along the way.
The produced water is discharged to the water treatment system (effluent water).
It can also be used as wash water for mud washing process during operation.
A desalting unit can be designed with single stage or two stages. In the
refineries, the two stages desalting system is normally applied, that consists of 2
electrostatic Coalescers (Desalter).

Crude Oil Pretreatment (Desalting)

Description
Desalting Process
Safety Considerations
Corrosion Considerations

Description
Crude oil often contains water, inorganic salts, suspended solids, and
water-soluble trace metals. As a first step in the refining process, to reduce
corrosion, plugging, and fouling of equipment and to prevent poisoning the
catalysts in processing units, these contaminants must be removed by
desalting (dehydration).
The two most typical methods of crude-oil desalting, chemical and
electrostatic separation, use hot water as the extraction agent. In chemical
desalting, water and chemical surfactant (demulsifiers) are added to the
crude, heated so that salts and other impurities dissolve into the water or
attach to the water, and then held in a tank where they settle out.
Electrical desalting is the application of high-voltage electrostatic charges
to concentrate suspended water globules in the bottom of the settling
tank. Surfactants are added only when the crude has a large amount of
suspended solids. Both methods of desalting are continuous. A third and
less-common process involves filtering heated crude using diatomaceous
earth.

Electrostatic Desalting Flow Chart

The feedstock crude oil is heated to between 150 and 350F to reduce
viscosity and surface tension for easier mixing and separation of the water.
The temperature is limited by the vapor pressure of the crude-oil
feedstock. In both methods other chemicals may be added. Ammonia is
often used to reduce corrosion. Caustic or acid may be added to adjust the
pH of the water wash. Wastewater and contaminants are discharged from
the bottom of the settling tank to the wastewater treatment facility. The
desalted crude is continuously drawn from the top of the settling tanks and
sent to the crude distillation (fractionating) tower.
Desalting Process
Feedstock

From

Process

Crude oil

Storage

Treating

Typical products - to - unit

Desalted crude to Atmospheric

distillation tower

Waste water to Treatment

Safety Considerations
The potential exists for a fire due to a leak or release of crude from heaters
in the crude-desalting unit. Low boiling point components of crude may
also be released if a leak occurs.
Because this is a closed process, there is little potential for exposure to
crude oil unless a leak or release occurs. Where elevated operating
temperatures are used when desalting sour crudes, hydrogen sulfide will
be present. There is the possibility of exposure to ammonia, dry chemical
demulsifiers, caustics, and/or acids during this operation.
Depending on the crude feedstock and the treatment chemicals used, the
wastewater will contain varying amounts of chlorides, sulfides,
bicarbonates, ammonia, hydrocarbons, phenol, and suspended solids. If
diatomaceous earth is used in filtration, exposures should be minimized or
controlled. Diatomaceous earth can contain silica in very fine particle size,
making this a potential respiratory hazard.
Corrosion Considerations
Inadequate desalting can cause fouling of heater tubes and heat
exchangers throughout the refinery. Fouling restricts product flow and heat
transfer and leads to failures due to increased pressures and temperatures.
Corrosion, which occurs due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen
chloride, naphthenic (organic) acids, and other contaminants in the crude
oil, also causes equipment failure. Neutralized salts (ammonium chlorides
and sulfides), when moistened by condensed water, can cause corrosion.
Over-pressuring the unit is another potential hazard that causes failures.

Crude oil desalting

As many refineries around the world are increasingly processing dirty
sour crude rather than light sweet crude, desalting is often a
bottleneck,

since

the

originally

planned

desalting

capacity

is

insufficient to process the same volume of dirtier crude. In addition,

desalting is increasingly being carried out at wellhead sites (particularly
offshore).
Desalting is commonly performed using electrostatic separating tanks,
50-100m3, operating at relatively high pressures of about 20 Bar, and
temperatures up to 160oC. The crude oil is heated and mixed with
sweet water (and often demulsifiers) in order to dilute the salt, and the
emulsion is separated in the electro-separators.

Crude Oil Desalting Process Flow

The two-stage desalting process eliminates about 90% of the salt; 10%
of the salt is present in the oil in the smallest droplets (10 microns and
less), which do not coalesce with the introduced sweet water and pass
untouched through the electro-separation dehydrators. This salt, which
remains in the oil, is the major cause of corrosion in refinery distillation
equipment, and a major driver of catalyst replacement cycles.
Our turbulent mixer/coalescer, with a volume of approximately 5m,
and driven by a 70kw electric motor, is placed in-line before the
electrostatic separator, either replacing the mixing valve used to
introduce sweet water and the demulsifier optionally following it.
Throughput for this size device will be approximately 35,000 barrels per
day, so for a 100,000 barrels per day desalting line (a refinery may
have several lines), 3 mixers would be required.
The controlled turbulence in the mixer will reduce the final salt
concentration in the desalter output of crude oil by more than half,
which will result in a significant reduction of corrosion and catalyst
damage and the associated expenses.
Alternatively, Turbulent Mixers can be used to approximately double
the throughput of an existing desalting line without increased chloride

content in the desalted crude output. A third option is to replace the

first stage of a conventional two-stage electro-separation desalting
line, with a Turbulent mixer.

========================================
========================================

Crude Oil Dehydrators

and Desalters
=======

Electrostatic desalting is employed for both oil field and refinery applications, to
facilitate the removal of inorganic chlorides and water-soluble contaminants from
crude oil. In refinery applications, the removal of these water-soluble compounds

prevents or minimizes damage to downstream distillation equipment. Click here to

learn more.

Conventional AC Electrostatic
Dehydrator/Desalter
The conventional AC (Alternating Current) electrostatic dehydration system is an
efficient method to remove high salinity formation water from the crude oil stream.
This process relies on establishing a high voltage AC electrical field in the oil phase of
dehydrator/desalter vessels. The electrical field imposes an electrical charge on water
droplets entrained in the oil stream, thus causing them to oscillate as they pass
through the electrodes.
During this oscillation the droplets are stretched or elongated and then contracted
during reversal of the imposing AC electrical field. During this agitation the water
droplets co-mingle and coalesce into droplets of sufficient size to migrate, by gravity,
back into the lower water phase of the vessel for disposal.

CONVENTIONAL AC ELECTRODE FIELD

Several modifications are available to enhance the conventional AC electrostatic
system. These modifications include:

Double-hot electrode system: apply power to the two electrodes

Triple-hot electrode system: apply power to the three electrodes
Systems tailored to the project specific requirements

Electrostatic AC/DC Dual Wave

Dehydrator/Desalter
GasTech's Dual Wave design utilizes both alternating and direct current through
multiple plates to promote enhanced water extraction and chloride level reduction.

DUAL WAVE AC/DC PLATE TYPE ELECTRODE

GasTech's Dual Wave AC/DC system provides the client with the following benefits:
Increased flow rates, resulting in:

o
o

Smaller vessel footprints

Less capital investments

Optimized water removal:

o
o
o

Lower quantities of water to the pipeline or storage.

Less demulsifier chemical
Less internal corrosion

Lower operating temperatures:

Conserves oil gravity and volume

STANDARD FEATURES

Inlet diffuser manifold

Anti-vortex water collector
Anti-vortex drains
Oil collection weir baffle
Open bottom distributor
troughs
Dry oil collector piping
AC/DC Plate type electrodes

OPTIONS

Sand-jetting system
Inverted sand troughs
Interface sludge draw-offs
Matrix packing
AC electrodes
Steam-out system
Electrostatic Heater/Treater

The GasTech horizontal heater-treater combines the advantages of emulsion

breaking heat with electrostatic dehydration in a single vessel package.
The unique thermal section is designed with an inlet shroud for liberating both gas
and free water from the emulsion. This flow path allows the free water to separate for
disposal, without further heating, resulting in fuel savings for the client.

The open bottom distributor troughs provide even dispersal of the heated oil across
the entire electrode section for optimum dehydration before being collected for
discharge to the pipeline or storage.

Desalting
The first process unit in an oil refinery is the desalter. Salts in crude are generally contained in
residual water suspended in the oil phase. The chemical composition of these salts varies, but
the major portion is nearly always sodium chloride with lesser amounts of calcium and
magnesium chlorides. Crudes also contain impurities such as silt, iron oxides, sand and
crystalline salt as mechanical suspensions. Removal of these contaminants is known as
desalting.

Process Description
Since the operating range of the process is usually 100 to 150C,the desalter is located in the
pipestill preheat train. The desired temperature is obtained by heat exchange between pipe still
products or recirculated reflux, in the crude charge. To dissolve the salts and/or wet the
impurities, fresh water of around 3-8% by volume is added to the raw crude then mixed with
the crude via a mixing device, such as a mixing valve and/or a static mixer. The resulting
oil/water mixture is then resolved by electrostatic coalescence through a high voltage electrical
field inside the desalting vessel. Water droplets coalesce under the influence of the electric
field, and sink to the bottom of the vessel. Electrodes maintaining the electric field are spaced
to produce a voltage intensity of between 2,000 to 4,000 volts per inch. Applied voltage ranges
from 12,000 to 35,000 volts. In cases of very high initial salt contents, desalting may be a two
stage, or even a three stage operation.

Design and Operating Features

Mackenzie Hydrocarbon desalters and dehydrators have a number of proven design features
that ensure process criteria will be met. Designs typically include provision for addition of
demulsifier chemicals and usually include a hydraulic wash header to enable periodic removal
of solids on the bottom of the vessel (mud washing). A number of power and connection
options can be offered for the electrostatic grid of the desalter to suit specific operating
conditions. Proper selection of mixing devices is also crucial to the success of the operation.

Transformers
High voltage transformers are essential in electrostatic treating. Usually the transformers are
oil-filled, designed for hazardous location, and located close to the vessel. Power is introduced
to the vessel through the entrance busing. Usually the transformers offer a number of voltage
options, between 12,000 to 35,000 volts. Usually the internal voltage is AC, but DC is used in
certain circumstances

Introduction
Crude oil contains mineral salts in various forms such as dispersed or
emulsified drops of injection water, solid crystals of water-soluble salts, etc.

This salt is primarily dissolved NaCl (associated brines), which are produced

with crude oil.

Crude oil desalting is a process by which a dilute water source is used to
reduce the salt content by mixing salted crude oil and water, followed by
coalescing of the resulting water for settling and removal of water droplets.
Crude oil salt content must typically be reduced to 10 to 20 PTB (pounds per
thousand barrel) to meet pipeline or tanker specifications, and to prevent salt
deposition, corrosion, or refinery catalyst deactivation. Crude oil typically has
to meet B.S.& W. specifications that may vary from 0.10 to 0.50 volume
percent.
Coalescing is typically accomplished in electrostatic dehydrator vessels,
occasionally in mechanical coalescors, or in field Heater-treaters or Chemelectric units. Special mixing devices are used for mixing dilution water with
desalter brine water.
In rare situations, crystalline salt can exist in oil fields. Although crystalline
salts is not common, it can occur in early production when very little water is
present. Crude oil emulsions or Regular emulsions are very small water
droplets suspended in a crude oil phase.
This article addresses the causes of crude oil emulsions and presents methods
of treating and dehydrating crude oils.

Causes of Emulsions

Agitation and turbulence across a Choke

Turbulence in Riser piping
Shearing of Centrifugal Pumps
Presence of Emulsifing Agents (Organic acids, paraffins, small solids,
chemicals or contaminants)
Agitation caused by Gas Lift valves in Wells
Valves or Fittings with excessive velocity

Factors that affect Emulsions

Density difference between brine and crude oil

Viscosity - Heating reduces viscosity and improves coalescing

Interfacial tension
Water droplet size: Water settling velocity increases with Diameter
squared (Stokes Law)
Water Salinity
Volume percent B.S.& W.
Emulsifying Agents
Age of emulsions: Emulsions stabilize (become worse with time)

Desalter design
Under construction

Terminology
Free water The percent of water that will settle out of an oil-water mixture
in five minutes. This test is performed in a 100 milliliter laboratory cylinder.
B.S.&W. Basic sediment and water. A standard test method is used along
with solvent (typically toluene) and Demulsifier chemical in a 100 milliliter
sample cylinder and centrifuged for 15 minutes.
Regular emulsion This consists of small water droplets suspended in a
crude oil phase. Various contaminants form a film around the water droplet
preventing combining or coalescing of the water droplets.
Reverse emulsion This consists of small oil droplets suspended in a water
phase, which typically occurs where the percent water content or B.S. & W.
exceeds 50 to 60 percent.
Loose emulsion This consists of varying water droplet sizes with many
droplets of a relatively large size, which separates readily upon settling.
Tight emulsion This consists of many very small water droplets that do not
separate readily due to high surface tension, or due to emulsifying agents
which prevent coalescing.
Salt content A measured salt content of a crude oil reported in PTB (pounds
per thousand barrel). Salt is normally dissolved in the water or brine phase. On
rare occasion salt can exist as crystalline salt.
Transformers Device mounted on top of a Desalter or Dehydrator to step
up electric power up from 480 or 4800 volts to 16,000 volts to supply to
electric grids internal to the vessels.

Crude oil desalting

Electrostatic desalting, whether employed for oil field production dehydration and
desalting or at oil refineries, is used to facilitate the removal of inorganic chlorides
and water-soluble contaminants from crude oil. In refinery applications, the

removal of these water-soluble compounds takes place to prevent or minimise

long term damage to downstream distillation processes.
The electrostatic desalting process consists of two important factors:

Emulsion preparation by increasing the population density of small water

droplets suspended in the crude oil via wash water injection
Creating a uniform droplet size distribution by imparting mechanical
shearing and dispersion of the dispersed aqueous phase