Marking a major milestone in oil processing technology, a collaborative project by Qatar University(QU), University of Leeds, University of Nottingham and KeyTech Engineering Consultants, has developed a novel method for removing trace water from crude oil, which could save millions of dollars daily.

‘The technique will also reduce the cost of corrosion management in the oil and gas industry,’ one of the researchers told Gulf Times.

‘The new development provides a compact separator, which can even be installed downhole in the well before the oil is brought up to the surface,’ explained Aboubakr M. Abdullah, associate professor of Material Science and Engineering, Centre for Advanced Materials, QU.

This attribute is particularly important in offshore explorations, making it a highly efficient and economical process, he said.

The research was made possible by a National Priorities Research Project grant from the Qatar National Research Fund, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education Science and Community Development.

‘It is a radical departure from the existing methods and provides rapid enlargement of water droplets, enabling gravity separation with high efficiency and compactness,’ Abdullah observed.

Crude oil, extracted from reservoirs, contains a notable quantity of saline water, solids and high molecular weight organic molecules. The separation of water and suspended particulates is essential before transportation and delivery to refineries.

‘The existing technology for dewatering relies heavily on the slow migration of water droplets, requiring a huge volume for the separator vessel making it uneconomic and undesirable.’

Abdullah noted that the new process will bring about countless benefits in the petroleum industry. ‘Capital expenditure will be reduced substantially thanks to its compactness. Operating costs will also be lowered as a result of reducing transportation costs. The elimination of trace water at an early stage of the oil production mitigates corrosion. This will have a major economic impact, as corrosion threats increase capital and operating expenditure substantially.’

The academic maintained that separation of water from oil is essential to avoid catalyst poisoning in subsequent refining. ‘An added advantage of improved efficiency of dewatering by this technology is lowering the environmental impact through minimising accidental leaks and heavy use of chemical additives,’ he observed.

He hinted that the researchers are looking for industrial input and collaboration for commercialising the method as the project aims to come up with a field proven technology incorporating the novel effective electrode geometry, optimum electrostatic field configuration and separation concept for deployment as a compact inline dewatering method.

The development of this more efficient separation technology is highly attractive for deployment in both upstream and downstream hydrocarbon operations. This is particularly felt in the current climate of low oil prices. With the current oil production of about 90 million barrels per day, the economic drive for the technology is even more tangible.