In addition to applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries, petroleum is primarily used as an energy source and in the chemical industry. Here it is one of the most important raw materials, e.g., in the production of basic chemicals, plastics, and detergents.
The extracted wet oil is a mixture of crude oil, natural gas, saltwater, and impurities and cannot be processed immediately. Initially, processing takes place to ensure it reaches the required quality for further processing in a refinery. The purification occurs in special separation facilities in several stages. The first purification stage involves the removal of associated gas, followed by the separation of saltwater from the crude oil.
Phase separation using LiquiSonic® Sound velocity measurement
Application
The removal of the associated petroleum gas takes place in the gas separator (separator) by swirling the mixture under increased pressure (condensation). The gas escapes and is collected separately and further processed. Additionally, the crude oil-saltwater emulsion concentration can be determined in the separator using LiquiSonic®be determined.
The crude oil-saltwater emulsion then enters a separate wet oil tank. Due to the density difference between crude oil and saltwater, the two phases can be separated. The saltwater floating under the oil is pumped out. The separation of saltwater from crude oil can be monitored using LiquiSonic® measurement technology During this process, the characteristic sound velocities of the respective phases are measured and evaluated by the controller. This allows for phase separation in seconds.
Installation
The LiquiSonic® sensors can be easily installed in the transport line after gas separation. Another installation option is located at the outlet of the wet oil tank. Here, the bottom drain valve with integrated LiquiSonic® sensor is used for phase separation in seconds without dead space. The LiquiSonic® Controller 30 can be connected with up to 4 sensors. This makes it possible to monitor the process at multiple measurement points:
- Concentration measurement of the oil-brine emulsion in the gas separator
- Phase detection and separation
Typical measuring range:
Oil concentration range: 0 to 100 m%
Temperature range: 10 to 70 °C
Customer benefits
The LiquiSonic® measurement technology guarantees at all times the exact detection of the different phases (oil/water) with an extremely fast response time of less than 1 second. This ensures the required quality for subsequent processing in the refinery. The precise separation of the brine leads to an increase in oil yield.
In addition, the expected product quantity can be determined with the concentration measurement value of the oil-brine emulsion in the gas separator.
One of the first steps in extracting crude oil is the separation of associated petroleum gas and saline reservoir water from the extracted wet oil.
