Scribd
Upload
6 views6 pages

L2

The document outlines the preparation of crude oil for distillation, focusing on the removal of impurities such as salts, sediments, and water to prevent processing issues. It details the degassing, dehydration, and desalting processes, emphasizing the importance of separating gas and water from crude oil and the use of electrical desalting equipment. Additionally, it describes the methods and equipment involved in treating wet crude oil to ensure efficient refining operations.

Uploaded by

Nabil Saad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views6 pages

L2

The document outlines the preparation of crude oil for distillation, focusing on the removal of impurities such as salts, sediments, and water to prevent processing issues. It details the degassing, dehydration, and desalting processes, emphasizing the importance of separating gas and water from crude oil and the use of electrical desalting equipment. Additionally, it describes the methods and equipment involved in treating wet crude oil to ensure efficient refining operations.

Uploaded by

Nabil Saad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Crude Oil Preparation for Distillation:(Degassing-Dehydration and Desalting)

the crude oils contain on impurities can classified to:

oleophobic oleophilic.
oleophobic impurities include: soluble in crude oil and include:
(insoluble in crude oil) a) Sulphur compounds
a) salts-mainly chlorides and sulphates of b) Organometallic compounds
sodium, calcium and magnesium. containing Ni,V,Fe,As,etc
b) sediments-such as silt, sand drilling mud, iron c) Naphthenic acids
oxide, iron sulphide,etc. d) Nitrogen compounds
c) water-presents as soluble, emulsified and /or
finely dispersed water.

these impurities must be removed to avoid problems in subsequent processing operations. several
problems which can be caused by oleophobic impurities include:

1) corrosion in the atmospheric distillation overhead system caused by HCL, which is liberated due to
hydrolysis/ dissociation of chloride salts.
2) erosion of crude oil pumps, pipelines and valves by suspended matter.
3) plugging of equipment and fouling of heat-transfer surfaces
4) product degradation, like high ash content in fuel oil
Asaad Salim.
Degassing Process:
Two – Phase Gas – Oil Separation:
High pressure crude oils containing large amount of free dissolved gas flow from the wellhead into the flow
line, which routes the mixture to the(GOSP).
This is usually done by admitting the well fluid into a gas – oil separator plant (GOSP) through which the
pressure of the gas – oil mixture is successively reduced to atmospheric pressure in a few stages.
In the separator, crude oil separates out, settles, and collects in the lower part of the vessel. Gas goes out the
top of the separators to a gas collection system, a vapor recovery unit (VRU), or a gas flow line.
Crude oil, on the other hand, goes out the bottom and is routed to other stages of separation, if necessary,
and then to the stock tank Volatile components, either sent to consumer centers as natural gas or used
repressurize the oilfield.

Flow of crude oil from oil well through (GOSP).

Separation of gas from oil


Dehydration and Emulsion Treatment of Crude Oil :
The fluid produced at the wellhead consists usually of gas, oil, free water, and emulsified water (water–
oil emulsion). Before oil treatment begins, we must first remove the gas and free water from the well
stream.
The objective of this treatment is first to remove free water and then break the oil emulsions to reduce the
remaining emulsified water in the oil.
The basic principles for the treating process are as follows:
1 Breaking the emulsion, which could be achieved by either any, or a combination of the addition of
heat, the addition of chemicals, and the application of electrostatic field.
2 Coalescence of smaller water droplets into larger droplets.
3 Settling, by gravity, and removal of free water.

Forms of saline water produced with crude oil.


Dehydration/Treating Processes :
The method of treating ‘‘wet’’ crude oil for the separation of water associated with it varies according to
the form(s) in which water is found with the crude.
-Free-water removal comes first in the treating process.
-the separation of ‘‘combined’’ or emulsified water along with any foreign matter such as sand and other
sediments.
(The removal of free water at the beginning will reduce the size of the treating system, hence its cost. The
same applies for the separation of associated natural gas from oil in the gas–oil separator plant (GOSP).)
A dehydration system in general comprises various types of equipment and most common are the
following:
• Free-water knockout vessel
• Wash tank
• Gun barrel
• Flow treater (heater/ treater)
• Chemical/Injector
• Electrostatic dehydrator

F.W. = fresh water.


SS.W. = suspended water.
E.W. = emulsified water.
Desalting of crude oils:
all crude oils contain salt water together with sediment depending upon the area from which the oil is
produced as well as the manner is normally in which it is handled prior to the time it reaches the refinery
storage.
salt content is normally reported as pounds of salt, measured as sodium chloride, per thousand barrels of
oil (PTB), the range of salt content generally varies from 10 to 200 PTB.
crude oil can get contaminated by salt water when shipped in tankers. Ballast water often becomes mixed
into the crude during shipment and may be emulsified with the crude while it is being pumped to shore
installations.
• there is a need to reduce the salt content of the crude oil, why?
All refiners now use Electrical desalting equipment.
Electrical desalting process consists of two steps. The first step consists of forming an emulsion of
crude oil and water. The second step is a demulsification process in which the emulsion of crude oil and
water formed in the first step is broken by means of an electrical field.

Desalting is carried out by mixing the crude oil with from 3 to 10 vol% water at temperatures from 200
to 300°F (90 to 150°C). Both the ratio of the water to oil and the temperature of operation are functions
of the density of the oil.

H.W// Describe the electrical desalting process?


Heating of Crude Oil :
• There are two devices used together for heating crude oil in petroleum refinery:
Heat Exchangers.
Tube Still Heaters (Furnaces).
•

You might also like