CRUDE OIL DEHYDRATION AND DESALTING

A division in Gemwater is focused on the separation and treatment of waters present in crude oil.   
Crude oil dehydration/desalting process consists in the separation of the aqueous phase present and in the preventive dissolution of salt crystals by adding water and then eliminating it.
Separation mechanism is the coalescence of water droplets obtained by effect of an electrostatic field which causes movement of the particles and consequently collision, rising to the formation by coalescence of a single larger drop which will thus decant with greater easiness on the bottom of the separator.
The overall dehydration/desalting units reduce free water content down to 0.15 ÷ 3 % and consequently the content of any salts in the oil by the following typical operating sequence: a dehydrator is used to remove large quantities of water from the oil stream and is often the first stage; a desalter performs the same basic function as a dehydrator, but here fresh water is injected into the oil stream mixing with the oil stream to dilute the saline formation water.

To follow one of the technology to be applied:

• DEHYDRATOR/ DESALTER