Engineering Encyclopedia Process

Crude Oil Desalting

Temperature (Cont'd)

Since water solubility in the crude increases with increasing temperature, high desalter
operating temperatures can also lead to higher water content in the crude from the desalter.
Operating temperatures above 300_F should be avoided since standard desalter entrance
bushings will fail frequently in prolonged service at such temperatures.

Pressure

Desalter operating pressure must be maintained at a sufficiently high level for vaporization
not to occur. If a vapor space develops in the vessel, a safety float switch or low level switch
will automatically de-energize the electrodes and effectively shut down the desalter. Any
vaporization results in erratic operation and a loss in desalting efficiency by generating
turbulence that hinders coalesced water droplet settling in the desalter. The required pressure
depends on the desalter operating temperature and crude type. Desalters typically operate at
pressures between 65 and 300 psig.

Wash Water Rates, Quality, Injection Points, and Sources

Wash water rates between 4 and 8 vol% (10 to 12 vol% maximum) of the crude throughput
are required to maintain effective desalter performance. The wash water is normally injected
just upstream of the mixing valve. Wash water addition provides the water droplet
concentration needed to contact and rupture the protective coating surrounding the brine and
promote coalescence to form larger, more easily separated droplets with reduced salt
concentration. This water is essential for the desalting process. Insufficient wash water leads
to poor contacting with brine droplets in the oil, reduces the dilution effect on the salt
concentration in entrained water from the desalter, and reduces the effectiveness of the
desalter's electric field in promoting droplet coalescence.

In situations where a suitable wash water supply is inadequate, a portion of the effluent brine
may be recycled to supplement the fresh wash water available for the operation. In general,
because of the higher ionic content in the recycled water, water recycling does not work as as
well as fresh water addition and should be used only where there are no practical alternatives.

Wash water should have a much lower salt content than formation water or the brine in the
crude oil. Wash water that Saudi Aramco uses is not normally salt free and has high total
dissolved solids.

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards 8