Evaluation of Demulsifiers Chemicals used in Sudanese Crude Oil

Abstract

This study aimed to use many demulsifiers which were formulated for different production facilities using temperature, agitation, and settling times specific to those facilities. The study for the appropriate demulsifier for water in crude oil emulsion is generally carried out the well known bottle test technique .present work extends this method to evaluate the demulsifiers performance. To obtain consistent results, and overcome the variation in formation properties, three samples were collected from three fields from Greater Nile Petroleum Co. (Hieglig -Bamboo-Toma South),to evaluate and compare between demulsifiers chemicals, and then also three samples were collected from three oilfields from Sudanese crude oil Greater Nile Operating Co. block 124, Petro Dar Oil Co. block 3/7, and White Nile Petroleum Operating Co. block 5A.During one year. A blend was made with the same ratios in the last blend to obtain the same emulsion formed during separation and treatment processes in the central processing facilities (CPF). Physical and chemical parameters of crude oil and water were determined using standard techniques of the American society for testing and materials, (ASTM), and the standard method test used (Bottle test) to compare between three types of demulsifiers performing on the samples taken from the above fields. Results were subjected to statistical analysis and correlation regression relationship between demulsifiers and other factors were determined. This study had showed which demulsifier performed fast separation of water and had a high efficiency for braking emulsion comparing with the other two demulsifiers, also its performance had been getting better within time due to emulsion stability which had been become easier, the study is comparative between demulsifiers performance related to break crude-oil emulsions and present a review that will be useful for practicing use of demulsifiers