The document discusses methods to increase crude throughput in desalting applications by optimizing chemical dosing and improving measurement accuracy. It highlights the challenges faced with blended crudes and traditional measurement systems, emphasizing the benefits of the Tracerco Profiler™, which offers real-time monitoring and reduced downtime. Key benefits include increased throughput of up to 20,000 barrels per day, significant cost savings on chemicals, and enhanced operational efficiency.

1. How to increase crude throughput in desalter applications

2. Summary
1. The potential for optimisation
2. Desalting applications today
3. The challenges in desalting applications
4. The limitations in conventional methods
5. Optimise your chemical dosing
6. Increasing crude throughput
7. Conclusion

4. The potential for optimisation
Increase crude throughput by as much as 20,000 barrels per day

5. The potential for optimisation
Deliver savings of up to $3.5m annually in chemical dosing

6. The potential for optimisation
Deliver savings of up to $330,000 from zero shutdowns

8. Desalting applications today
• Within many refineries, there is a growing tendency to process heavier
crudes or blend these with lighter feed stocks. During crude oil refining, it is
advantageous to optimise the blend to reduce overall feedstock costs whilst
at the same time ensuring the final mix can be adequately processed with
minimal upset.
• One fundamental need within a refinery process is the efficient separation
of wastewater from crude feedstock using a desalter vessel after water
washing the material to reduce chloride levels.
• In order to optimise this separation requirement, appropriate vessel and
internals design must be used alongside reliable level and interface
instrumentation.
Hewitt, P. and Vidrine, S. (2006) 9th Topical Conference on Refinery Processing (TA015) –
#55 – Advances in Desalting of the 2006 Spring A.I.Ch.E Meeting, Orlando, FL, April 23-27, 2006

10. Challenges in desalting
applications
Increase use of blended crudes presents
calibration challenges for the instrumentation used
for level and phase measurement.
High temperature processing of up to 194oC/
380oFcan mean some instrumentation cannot be used as
it will not withstand the extreme temperature.
Gradual build-up on internals affects measurements thus
causing inefficient processing.
Keeping the plant operational which is difficult
when the emulsion level is not shown.

12. Limitations with conventional
methods
Although traditional level and interface measurement systems have their advantages, when
applied to the relatively dirty process experienced within a desalter, a number have been
found to demonstrate many shortcomings.
Level and interface instruments can be in two categories; mechanical or electrical.
•Mechanical systems such as float have high capital and maintenance costs as well
as poor reliability and flexibility.
•Electrical based systems are more popular due to improved reliability and accuracy such
as Nucleonic, Capacitive, Guided Wave and DP. Although these still can present
problems with the presence of emulsion.

14. Optimising your chemical dosing
The lynchpin to optimising chemical dosing is
repeatable, reliable, accurate measurement.
Tracerco ProfilerTM is the only nucleonic
instrumentation designed to measure the vertical
distribution of oil, emulsion and water in real time at
high resolution.

15. Optimising your chemical dosing
Confidence in the accuracy of your instrumentation
allows you to run the plant at maximum
throughput.
Confidence in the reliability of the ProfilerTM as it is
unaffected by density fluctuations. The
same technology is deployed in subsea separation systems.
Reliability allows you to continuously monitor the water and
oil interface with the additional benefit of low
maintenance cost. The latest version of the
ProfilerTM is designed for temperatures up to
194oC/380oF.
The Tracerco Profiler™ has no moving parts and therefore
gives repeatable measurement.

16. Optimise your chemical dosing
Case Study
Feedback
• Operator confidence to run the interface
level at or within the lower electrostatic
grid – 82% level.
• Separation optimisation of difficult blends
– improve crude flexibility (Escalante
crude blend increased from 30kbbl/d to
50kbbl/d).
• Increased upstream desalter mixing to
enhance chloride removals from
downstream vessels thus reducing
corrosion issues (between 3 to 4 ppm to
2ppm).
• Optimisation of chemicals within the
desalting process leading to
considerable cost savings.
• The elimination of process upsets
resulting from water carryover or oil carry
under from the desalter vessel.
Cost Savings
Chemistry Annual savings
Demulsifier $200,000
Neutraliser $75,000
Water clarifier $130,000
Asphaltene stabiliser $100,000
No production loss due
$330,000
to desalter upsets
Total Improvement $835,000

18. Increase crude throughput

19. Increasing crude throughput
• With optimised chemical dosing the emulsion level is controlled up
to parts per million with the accuracy delivered by the Profiler’s unique
technology allowing more volume in the vessel.
• This volume can be used to process more crude and accuracy of the
measurement gives operator confidence to run the interface level at
or within the lower electrostatic grid – 82% level.
• Giving increased throughput of up to 20,000 barrels per day.

21. Conclusion
• Controlling the emulsion level is key to increasing crude
throughput.
• The more accurately this can be controlled the more volume is
available for processing crude.
• This is controlled through accurate phase measurement which
allows optimised chemical dosing also saving on chemical costs.
• Where blended crudes are used there is instrumentation available which
does not need recalibrating.
• To ensure repeatable, accurate measurement instrumentation needs to
have very low failure rates.
• The right instrumentation can deliver huge benefits in increased
throughput and cost savings on chemicals.
The Tracerco ProfilerTM delivers all of these things in
one instrument.

22. Conclusion
Controlling emulsion
level
• Accurate to +/- 1%
• It is the only nucleonic instrumentation
designed to measure the vertical
distribution of oil, emulsion, water and
sand in real time at high resolution.
• Unlike conventional technology, this
patented instrument is a 'window' into
the vessel to enable the operator to
improve production throughput, reduce
the number of unscheduled shutdowns
and achieve significant cost savings.
No need to recalibrate
for blended crudes
• Ability to enhance feedstock blend
without the need to re-calibrate
equipment with real time process
optimisation.
• High stability and accuracy across a
wide range of ambient and process
temperatures.

23. Low failure rates –
Smart redundancy
• 0% failure in service.
• SMART redundancy for tubes
mounted at the same elevation, the
densities from the two tubes can be
averaged.
• Likewise SMART redundancy allows
for density values to be calculated via
interpolation of the adjacent healthy
tube values.
• This ensures minimum interruption to
the process.
• No moving parts.
• Suitable for temperatures of up to
194oC/380oF.
Conclusion

24. Conclusion
Benefits – Human
Machine Interface
(HMI)
• Control from one central location with
accurate overview of plant.
• Real time alarms enable quicker
reaction in the event of anomalies.
• Real time and historical density and
level data is recorded to offer
enhanced diagnostics.
• Effective management and operation
of instrument and plant.
• Reduced installation cost.
A picture is worth a thousand
words.

25. Conclusion
Specification
Performance
Accuracy +/-1% of measurement range
Density Range 0-3000 kg/m3
Number of Density Points
66@500cps, 35@1000cps
Over Range
Update Interval 0.5 seconds to 15 seconds
Electrical
Ex-Approvals ATEX Ex ib IIB T4
FM Ex ib C & D Zone 1 Class
1 Div 2
Design Temperature -55°C/67oF to + 194°C/380ºF
Power Galvanic Isolators
Communications Ethernet, Modbus TCP/IP,
Modbus RTU,
4-20mA
Mechanical
Vessel Nozzle Size
Typically 8"
(please enquire as
application dependent)
Dip Pipe Casing Titanium
Design Codes ASME VIII, PD5500
Operating Pressure In accordance with vessel
design requirements
Maximum Length Up to 5m
*including ambient temperature factor.

26. Conclusion
The Tracerco Profiler™ can be used as a control and diagnostic instrument
to allow continuous quality monitoring of the water/oil interface.
•Highly reliable and repeatable measurement - 0% failure in service.
•Immune to process variations.
•No moving parts.
•Low cost of ownership.
•Live maintenance, no requirement for plant shut down.
Single integrated instrument solution providing a multitude of density points to
deliver a continuous level & density profile.

27. Conclusion
Summary of benefits
• Increase crude throughput.
• Ability to enhance feedstock blend without the need to re-calibrate
equipment with real time process optimisation.
• Eliminate interface excursion upsets and reduce demand on electrostatic
grid power by monitoring rag layer.
• High stability and accuracy across a wide range of ambient and process
temperatures.
• No radiation dose rate external to the vessel.
• Zero maintenance - Annual wipe test required on arming rod handle.
• Reduce maintenance costs and risk to plant by reduced corrosion risk.
• Reduce and optimise chemical processing costs.
• Reduce process cost of brine waste treatment by reducing oil carryover.
• Improves asset environmental compliance with less demand on water
treatment.
• Smart redundancy.
• No risk of damage to instrument under empty vessel conditions.

28. Find out more
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