Crude Oil Desalting

The Refinery Desalter and Its Effluent

Crude oil entering a refinery carries 0.5 to 5 percent water at the wellhead, plus dissolved salts and suspended solids that would otherwise destroy the downstream crude unit. The desalter washes the crude with fresh water and uses an electrostatic field to coalesce the salt laden water droplets; the desalted crude proceeds to the atmospheric distillation column, and the brine effluent goes to the refinery wastewater treatment plant. The brine is the SorbiTech treatment scope.

Brine Effluent Carries Oil, Hydrocarbon, and Solids

The desalter brine carries free hydrocarbons (from carryover at the electrostatic separation), dispersed hydrocarbons (10 to 100 ppm), dissolved hydrocarbons (BTEX, phenols), suspended solids from the crude, and the dissolved salts of the original wash water. The discharge consent (refinery effluent under the regional regulatory regime) typically requires below 10 mg/L oil at outlet.

Three Stage Brine Treatment Train

The SorbiTech brine treatment train stages a CPI separator for the free oil and settleable solids, a coalescing skid for the dispersed oil to single digit ppm, and an activated carbon polishing bed for the dissolved hydrocarbons. The combined train delivers the refinery discharge consent on a continuous basis with one performance guarantee.

Delivery and Sector

Delivered turnkey by SorbiTech with civil and electrical scope or as a fabricated skid by SorbiTech. The SorbiTech activated carbon is reactivated thermally at the partner facility through the SorbiTech reactivation programme. Sector coverage is petrochemicals and refining.