DESALTER UNIT | OIL & GAS | No 1 Training Institute In Kerala & Tamil Nadu
A Core Refinery Process Desalting, also known as crude oil desalting, is a critical initial process within an oil refinery designed to remove salts, water, and other impurities from crude oil. This cleaning step is essential for ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of downstream processing units, particularly distillation.
The workhorse responsible for desalting is the desalter unit. This vessel acts as a processing equipment within the refinery, specifically targeting the removal of salts and various contaminants from the crude oil stream. As one of the major components in a refinery, the desalter is typically the first unit encountered by crude oil as it enters the processing chain for cleaning and preparation for distillation.
The desalter unit resembles a large vessel equipped with transformers. These transformers play a crucial role in the process by applying an electric field to facilitate the separation of the oil and water mixture. The crude oil is often mixed with an emulsifying agent to enhance the separation process. To ensure stability and support, desalters are generally mounted on a sturdy civil or structural base.
Emulsified Water and Salt Contamination Crude oil extracted from fields often contains a significant amount of water in the form of a stable emulsion. This emulsion necessitates treatment to separate the water from the oil. Additionally, crude oil can contain various dissolved salts, including sodium, calcium, and magnesium chlorides. The Importance of Desalting The primary purpose of desalting lies in eliminating these undesirable impurities from the crude oil before it undergoes distillation.
Salts, particularly chlorides, can decompose within refinery heating units, forming hydrogen chloride gas. This gas condenses into hydrochloric acid, which can lead to severe corrosion of downstream equipment and piping, significantly reducing their lifespan.
Sand and mud particles present in crude oil can cause abrasive damage to pumps and piping systems, leading to increased maintenance costs and potential equipment failures.
