What does a desalter do?
The purpose of a desalting system is to reduce the salt content of the treated oil to acceptable levels. When the salinity of the produced brine is not too high, merely ensuring that there is a low fraction of water in the oil can reduce salt content.
What is desalter in oil and gas?
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.
How does a refinery desalter work?
In the desalter, the crude oil is heated and then mixed with 5-15% volume of fresh water so that the water can dilute the dissolved salts. The oil-water mix is put into a settling tank to allow the salt-containing water to separate and be drawn off. Frequently, an electric field is used to encourage water separation.
What is desalter train?
Model: 295-501. DAC Worldwide’s Crude Oil Desalter Model (295-501) is a high-fidelity, to-scale training model that showcases the equipment features and process components used in two popular crude oil desalters types found in refineries and in oilfield production applications.
Is salt used in making petroleum?
The salt found in crude oil is typically in the form of salt crystals dissolved in the water that is emulsified in the crude oil with major portions of the salts being chlorides of sodium, calcium, and magnesium [3].
Which salt is used in petroleum refining industry?
To meet the special demands of the oil- and gas industry K+S offers two types of industrial salt: vacuum and rock salt. The high sodium chloride content of typically 99% (rock salt) and typically 99,9% (PDV salt) are the basis for our quality industrial salt products used in drilling and refinery applications.
Who invented petroleum?
In 1859, at Titusville, Penn., Col. Edwin Drake drilled the first successful well through rock and produced crude oil. What some called “Drake’s Folly” was the birth of the modern petroleum industry. He sold his “black gold” for $20 a barrel.
What is the most common method of desalination?
Distillation is the oldest and most commonly used method of desalination. The world’s first land-based desalination plant, a multiple-effect distillation (MED) process plant that had a capacity of 60 m3/day, was installed on Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, in 1928.
How does a desalter work in an oil refinery?
(December 2017) 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.
How is the desalting of crude oil completed?
Less corrosion in exchanger, fractionators, pipelines, etc. The desalting process is completed in following steps: 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.
How is oil desalted in a settling tank?
Crude oil to be desalted is heated to a temperature of 100-150 °C and mixed with 4-10% fresh water, which dilutes the salt. The mixture is then pumped into a settling tank where the salt water separates from the oil and is drawn off.
When does desalting and distillation take place?
Although distillation is usually known as the first process in petroleum refineries, in many cases, desalting should take place before distillation (Figure 3.1). Salt dissolved in water (brine) enters the crude stream as a contaminant during the production or transportation of oil to refineries.
