• OIL TREATING

    Desalter

    Desalter units process crude oil to remove salts and impurities, typically calcium, sodium, magnesium chloride and solid particulates with the addition of water. The salts are dissolved in water, which is separated from the crude oil and sent downstream for treatment.

INTERNALS
MECHANICAL
ELECTROSTATIC
TDE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Crude Oil Rates: 1,000 BPD to 100,000 BPD

Engineering
Procurement
Fabrication
Construction and Installation
Commissioning
Operation, Maintenance and Troubleshooting

TDE evaluates and makes design considerations to determine optimum efficiency and enhance crude oil desalination. TDE's Desalter Units incorporate design aspects to minimize upfront capital costs and energy requirements.

TDE offers either our Standard Pre-Engineered Modular Packages or Fully Customized Designs to meet varying project and schedule requirements.

Process Description

Crude oil feed enters the treater vessel where flow is directed onto an impingement plate located on the longitudinal baffle to initiate fluid separation. The baffle directs flow towards the burner end of the vessel to promote gas separation, which continues to the coalescing section through the transverse baffle where the gas exits the vessel.

Fresh or recycled water is introduced at specific points to the vessel, which dissolves the salts in the oil for removal. The heated oil and emulsified water pass through the distributor baffles and vertical electrostatic grids in the coalescing section, which results in the attraction of water molecules to converge and coalesce to respective oil / water phases. Dehydrated oil accumulates at the surface as it continues through the vessel and collects in a weir box prior to exiting the vessel. The salt concentration is measured and the water is removed at the end of the vessel via the water collector head.

TREATER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Mechanical Treating
• Uniform flow distribution eliminates dead areas
• Increased efficiency and probability of water molecule contact

Electrostatic Treating
• Adjustable electrostatic field strength compensates for droplet variation throughout vessel
• Baffle and vertical grid increase water droplets coalesced

Thermal System
• Optimized for efficient heating and flow distribution
• Independent temperature control for dual firetubes

Contaminants
• Draw-off for material accumulation between liquid interface
• De-sand stations for solids removal

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