US 12,378,481 B2
Emulsion destabilization and grid cleaning in gas-oil separation plants and systems related thereto
Hatem Bajuaifer, Dhahran (SA); Ashiff Khan, Dhahran (SA); and Khaled N. Mutairi, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/352,413.
Prior Publication US 2025/0019601 A1, Jan. 16, 2025
Int. Cl. C10G 53/02 (2006.01); B01D 17/04 (2006.01); B01D 19/00 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 53/02 (2013.01) [B01D 17/045 (2013.01); B01D 19/0068 (2013.01); C10G 2300/202 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gas-oil separation plant system, the system comprising:
a high pressure production trap (HPPT) separator;
a low pressure production trap (LPPT) separator in fluid communication with the HPPT separator;
a dehydrator in fluid communication with the LPPT separator, the dehydrator comprising a plurality of electrical or mechanical dehydrator coalescing grids;
a desalter in fluid communication with the dehydrator, the desalter comprising a plurality of electrical or mechanical desalter coalescing grids;
a stabilizer column in fluid communication with the desalter;
wherein a flow pipe interposes the HPPT separator, the LPPT separator, the dehydrator, the desalter, and the stabilizer column through which an emulsified crude oil is circulated for separation of liquid hydrocarbon and saline water therefrom; and
one or more recirculation flowlines for recirculating a stabilized hot crude oil from the stabilizer column to one or more of the HPPT separator, the LPPT separator, the dehydrator, and the desalter to (1) reduce or eliminate an amount of demulsifier chemical being introduced into the flow pipe, (2) remove adhered particles from one or both of the dehydrator coalescing grids and the desalter coalescing grids, or (3) a combination of (1) and (2).