CRUDE OIL

DESALTING

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CRUDE OIL
DESALTING

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 Crude Oil Desalting:-
Salts are distributed in crude oil as brine (Nacl)
Defects of Salts are:
-Cause plugging of heat exchangers tubes.
-Cause deposits in pipe still tubes (furnaces)
and consequently cause .
-Decrease in heat transfer coefficient.
-Create pressure drop which affects on
pumps.
Salts may reach up to 260 PTb each 100 PTb cause
deposits of about 3 ft/day .
Salts should be removed before distillation tower where
these salts liberate HCL gas which cause many
corrosion problems .

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 Problems of oleophobics
-Corrosion due to hydrolysis of salts .
-Increase consumption of NH3 to
neutralize HCL
-Erosion .
-Plugging of Equipment and fouling .
-Trace metals in distillates which acts as
catalyst poisoning

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Crude desalting is the first processing step in a refinery .
The objectives of crude desalting are :

1-the removal of salts and solids

2- the formation water from unrefined crude oil before

the crude is introduced in the crude distillation unit .

3-removal of suspended solids from the crude oil.

4-Reduced equipment fouling and corrosion and

5-longer catalyst life

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 SINGLE-STAGE DESALTER

Desalted
Demulsifier Heat Crude
Exchangers
Desalter
Feed Oil Mix
Valve
Water
Effluent Water

..

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 Two-Stage Desalter Example

1st Stage Crude Outlet Desalted Crude

(5.0 PTB, 0.2% BS&W) (0.5 PTB, 0.2% BS&W)

1st Stage Desalter 2nd Stage Desalter

Mix Mix
Valve Valve

Crude Charge
(100 PTB, 1% BS&W) 5.8% Effluent Water

5.0% 5.0% Wash Water

2nd Stage Effluent Water Counter-current flow
is 1st Stage Wash Water
Figure 2
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 MULTI-STAGE DESALTING
Desalted
SERIES: Maximize Desalting Efficiency Crude
10ppm 1ppm
1st salt out 2nd salt out
Stage Stage
Heat
100ppm Exchangers
salt in
Feed Mix Valve
Oil Mix Valve
Water

Effluent
Water
Overall Efficiency = (100 - 1) / 100 = 99%
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 MULTI-STAGE DESALTING
PARALLEL:
Maximize Throughput Desalted
Crude
Mix Valves
Heat
Exchangers

Feed Oil

Water

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 Pure water and NaOH is added to the
desalter
Some deemulsifier may be added to break
forces between salts and the oil
In electrostatic precipitator applied voltage
up to 30KV
Salt drops coalesce together and form
larger drops which separated down to the
bottom of desalter
Salt removal reach to about 90%
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 It is necessary to adjust the pH of the brine to
obtain a value of 7 or less.
If the pH of the brine exceeds 7, emulsions are
formed because of the presence of sodium
naphthenate and sodium sulfide.
For most crude oils, it is desirable to keep the
pH below 8.
Better dehydration is obtained in electrical
desalters when they are operated at a pH of 6.
The pH is controlled by the addition of acid to
the incoming or recycle water.

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 The trend toward running heavier crude
oils has increased the importance of
efficient desalting of crudes. Until recently,
the criterion for desalting crude oils was 10
lb salt/1000 bbl (expressed as NaCl) or
more, but now many companies desalt all
crude oils.

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 Salt in the crude oil is in the form of
dissolved or suspended salt crystals in
water emulsified with the crude oil.
The basic process of desalting is to wash
the salt from crude oil with water.
Problems occur are:
1-inefficient and economical water/oil mixing,
2-water wetting of suspended solids, and
3-separation of oil from wash water

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 The separation of oil and washwater i.e
desalter performance is affected by :
1-the gravity
2-viscosity
3-pH of the crude oil
4-the ratio of water/crude used for washing.
5-temperature
6-pressure drop
7-chemicals additions

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 Desalting is carried out by emulsifying the
crude oil with 3 to 10 vol% water at a
temperature of 200-300F. Both the ratio of
water to oil and the operating temperature
are functions of the gravity of the crude oil.
Typical operating conditions are :

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Trouble shooting

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