US 12,448,575 B2
Low salinity water production in crude oil processing
Maher Maqbool Shariff, Dhahran (SA); Sebastien A. Duval, Dhahran (SA); Simone Less, Dhahran (SA); and Olanrewaju Malcolm Oshinowo, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/355,921.
Prior Publication US 2025/0026993 A1, Jan. 23, 2025
Int. Cl. C10G 53/06 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 53/06 (2013.01) [C10G 2300/1033 (2013.01); C10G 2300/4081 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
separating a side-stream from an oil phase stream discharged from a crude oil separator in a gas-oil separation plant, wherein the side-stream contains water and oil;
flowing at least a portion of the oil phase stream discharged from the crude oil separator in the gas-oil separation plant to a desalter in the gas-oil separation plant;
applying an electric field across the side-stream to coalesce aqueous droplets present in the side-stream to form an aqueous phase;
separating the aqueous phase from the oil of the side-stream;
evaporating at least a portion of the aqueous phase to form a wastewater phase and a vapor phase;
condensing at least a portion of the vapor phase to produce a wash water; and
flowing the wash water to the desalter.