HAPTE

7. Produced Water Handling

R

Petroleum
Engineering Department
Internal

7.1

Oil in water characteristics

7.2

Types of Produced Water

Equipment

Production Engineering II

Able to
1. Describe the characteristics of
oil in water and its separation
theories
2. Describe the mechanism of
produced water treatment
equipment

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Engineering Department
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Oil in Water Characteristics

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Introduction

Characteristics of oil in produced water:

Entrained oil exists as droplets of varying sizes

Has lower specific gravity, except very heavy tarlike crudes

Separates by gravity, into layers, given sufficient

time

Separation occurs because small droplets coalesce

either into the fast-rising larger droplets or into
the oil layer at the top (surface)

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Engineering Department
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Oil-Water Separation Theory

Gravity separation

Separation due to specific gravity difference between

oil and water.

Based on Stokes Law:

= rising velocity of the oil droplets, ft/sec; = diameter

of oil droplet, micron; = difference in specific gravity
between oil and water, relative to water; = viscosity of the
continuous water phase, cp.

When the droplet size increases, the time required for

oil/water separation decreases. Hence the size of the
oil/water separator decreases (thats why to reduce
the size of separator, the separator must have
components that helps the coalescence process.

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Engineering Department
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Oil-Water Separation Theory

Coalescence

Reduces the time required for oil and water separation.

Coalescence components must provide a large surface area

for wetting (for the oil droplets)

Small oil droplets combine and form larger droplets that

rise much faster based on Stokes Law.

Floatation

Uses gas bubbles to increase the difference in density

between two fluids, by attaching the gas bubbles to the
oil droplet.

The combined gas-oil droplet velocity is increased due to

lower density and larger diameter droplet.

This in turn decrease the retention time and thus, the

separating vessel size.

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Engineering Department
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Types of Produced Water Equipment

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Engineering Department
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Oil-Water Separation Equipment

1.

Gravity separators
API separator and settling tanks, skim tanks and
vessels (onshore)
Disposal piles, skim piles (offshore)

2.

Coalescers
Plate coalescers
FWKO with plate pack
Oil-water-sediment coalescer/separator

3. Floatation
Dissolved gas floatation
Dispersed gas floatation
4.

Enhanced gravity separation

Hydrocyclones (static/dynamic)

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Engineering Department
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 Maximum drop size going into inlet to water

treating system: 200 -500 microns
Oil Drop size
microns

Water Treatment Equipment type

120 -150

Settling tanks, disposal piles, skim tanks

and vessels

30 - 50

Plate coalescers, hyrdocylones

20 - 50

Oil/water/sediment coalescing separators

10 -20

Floatation devices

< 10

High efficiency coalescers

dissolved

Activated hydrocarbon

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Engineering Department
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Plate Coalescers
Plate coalescers depend on gravity
separation which allows oil
droplets to rise to a plate
surface, and where coalescence and
capture of the oil droplets occur
Common configurations:
Parallel plate interceptor
(PPI)
Corrugated plate interceptor
(CPI)
Flow is split between a number of
parallel plates spaced a short
distance apart
Plates are inclined to the
horizontal, to facilitate the
capture of the oil droplets
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Engineering Department
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10

Parallel Plate Interceptor (PPI)

A series of flat plates installed parallel to the
longitudinal axis of an API separator (a horizontal,
rectangular, cross section skimmer)
Plates form a V when viewed along the axis so that the
oil sheet migrates up the underside of the coalescing plate
and to the sides.
Sediments migrate towards the middle and down to the bottom
of the tank where they are removed.

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Corrugated Plate Interceptor (PPI)

Refinement of the PPI takes up
less plan area for the same
particle size removal. And allows
sediment to be handled easier.
Plates are corrugated, like
roofing material, with the axis
of the corrugations parallel to
the direction of flow.
Oil sheet rises upward to the
water flow and is concentrated IN
the top of each corrugation.
When oil reaches the end of the
plate pack, it is collected in a
channel and brought to the
oil/water interface.
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Gas Floatation
Floatation units are the only commonly used water
treating equipment that do not rely on gravity
separation of the oil droplets.
Fine gas bubbles are formed in the water which attach
themselves to particles of oil or solids and help to
lift them to the water surface for collection.
Floatation aids, e.g. coagulants, polyelectrolytes,
demulsifiers, are added to improve performance
Two classifications:
Dissolved gas floatation
Dispersed gas floatation

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13

Dissolved Gas Floatation

A portion of the treated water effluent is saturated
with natural gas in a contactor.
While passing through the pump, the gas is sheared
into finely dispersed bubbles.
These bubbles attach themselves to both the oil
droplets and suspended solids and bring them to the
surface as a froth at an accelerated rate.
However, seldom used in upstream operations because
of its large size and high initial cost. Offshore
water may also contain iron oxide, which when mixed
with air, will plug the contactor with rust.

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Dissolved gas floatation process

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Dispersed Gas Floatation

Gas bubbles are dispersed in the total system
either by the use of a eductor (hydraulic) device,
or by a vortex set up by mechanical rotors.
Clean water from effluent is pumped to a
recirculation header that feeds a series of
eductors.
Water flowing through the educator sucks gas from
the vapor space, and released at the nozzle, as a
jet of small bubbles.
The bubbles rise to the surface, collecting oil
droplets and solid particles as a froth that is
skimmed with a mechanical device.

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Oily froth layer

Cross section of a hydraulic dispersed gas floatation unit

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 To obtain good oil/solid removal, the following

must be accomplished:
Generate gas bubbles of favorable quantities and
size distribution
Cause a collision to occur between the gas
bubbles and the oil droplet
Ensure the oily froth reaches the surface
Skim the oil-laden froth from the surface

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Engineering Department
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19

Dispersed Gas Floatation

To obtain good oil/solid removal, the following
must be accomplished:
Generate gas bubbles of favorable quantities and
size distribution
Cause a collision to occur between the gas
bubbles and the oil droplet
Ensure the oily froth reaches the surface
Skim the oil-laden froth from the surface

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Engineering Department
Internal

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