WATER-OIL EMULSION BREAKING METHOD Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: crude oil treatment. SUBSTANCE: when breaking high-stable crude oil emulsion, the latter is treated by reagents under hydrodynamic-mode circulation conditions, heated, subjected to dynamic settling and centrifugation to be separated into hydrocarbon, water, and solid fractions. Breaking of emulsion is carried out in tank and circulation pipeline, through which emulsion is pumped. When performing hydrodynamic-mode circulation of emulsion, its aggregative stability is maintained by regulating solid phase and water contents. Reagents added to emulsion are: 10-30% of demulsifier and 70-90% of alkylbenzenesulfonic acid or its salts. When there is a risk of precipitation of salts, reagent combination is completed by salt precipitation inhibitor so that reagent combination contains, wt %: demulsifier 10-39, inhibitor 5-15, and alkylbenzenesulfonic acid or its salts 55-85. Reagents can be dosed separately or as a mixture. Controlled parameters are: content of solid phase in oil-water-reagents mixture; stability of oil-water-reagents mixture; and proportion of oil and/or water in this mixture. EFFECT: enhanced emulsion breaking efficiency. 5 cl, 1 tbl, 3 ex