Page 9 - Treating Oilfield Emulsions

Segment II Chapter 6

Objectives
Petroleum Extension-The University of Texas at Austin

After completing Segment TI, you should be able to ­

1. Identify the conditions that determine when chemicals should be added in the
treating process.
2. Identify the various points at which chemicals can be added in the treating process
and recall the advantages and disadvantages of each.
3. Recall the ways in which chemical may be added in the treating process.
4. Recall the types of chemical feed pump, how they operate, and how they are
maintained.
5. Identify the effects of temperature and settling time on chemicals used in treating.

6. Identify the reasons for the appearance of free water in an oil stock tank and list
possible remedies.
7. Recall the reason for performing a bottle test on a normal and a reverse emulsion
and how this test is performed.
8. Identify solvents that may be used to dilute a chemical demulsifier.
9. List the steps in a centrifuge test using slugging compound.

10. Recall the purpose of a ratio test and how one is performed.
11. Explain why reverse emulsion tests are becoming more common and how they
differ from bottle tests used for normal emulsions.
12. List the steps for selecting the preferred chemical compound for treating an
emulsion.
13. Explain what to do with the results of a bottle test.
14. Determine the best point at which to add chemical to the production system.

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