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Production “As well as verifying the use of elec- national and international oil compa- trostatic technology to treat the crude nies,” Bjørklund says.

oil, this testing also provides data for The newest generation VIEC technol- oilfeld owners and operators, which ogy has been delivered to the FPSO allows them to optimize and remove OSX-1, the frst foating production, bottlenecks from the overall separa- storage and offoading unit in OSX’s tion process. This can result in smaller feet, which is working for OGX in the separator vessels, reduced processing Campos basin off Brazil. The system temperatures and reduced dosing with has been installed in both the frst chemicals.” stage separator and the test separator

Traditional electrostatic coalescer in order to improve processing of the vessels are equipped with uninsulated heavy crude oil on the Waimea feld high voltage electrodes that cannot in the Campos basin. An installation be exposed to gas, and the more than at Qatar Petroleum’s onshore Dukhan

A VIEC system 10-15% water remaining in the oil. feld has led to a reduction of the basic consists of 150–200 electrodes

A signifcant advance has been the sediment and water levels from about forming a cross-sectional wall to treat development of an electrostatic device 5% to 0.2%, well below the target level and separate oil and water.

with insulated electrodes, making it of 2%. Salt content in the crude oil quantifcation and residual water possible to handle 100% water as well was also reduced by up to 90%.

quantifcation. as any gas present. This allows such “We are pleased to provide advanced

Following the characterization pro- devices to be installed into upstream technologies resulting from more than cess, a range of separation tests is per- production separators. a decade of continuous R&D com- formed to verify the effect of a VIEC in “We have successfully delivered and bined with operational experience combination with different chemicals. installed vessel internal electrostatic from a number of deliveries since

Separation testing focuses on retention coalescers into more than 30 test and 2003 to improve oil and water separa- time in the electrical feld, chemical production separators treating crude tion performance for our customers,” screening, turbulence, shear, recircula- oils ranging from API 12–50°, with an Bjørklund says. “We believe this tech- tion patterns, fow entrainment of small equal split between retrofts and new- nology will support future develop- droplets and other dynamic effects. builds, and covering most of the major ments of heavy oil felds.”

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