Aibel Technology

Advanced Methods for Dehydration of Heavy Oils Jarle Michaelsen Manager, Separation Business Unit Vera Cruz: 19 March 2009

www.aibel.com

Outline

Introduction to Produced Water Separation What is electrocoalesence ? What is VIEC (Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer) ? How does it work ? What are the benefits ?

Where does the water come from?

GAS OIL

WATER

Produced Water Separation

Main reasons for VIEC

HP Gas Heat Heat LP Gas EL.COALESCER (Dehydrator) Oil Export

Reject Gas

Advantages :
Water

Increase production Improve level control Reduce chemical consumption Reduce fluid heating Less fresh water for desalting

Improve

BS&W Improve water quality before discharge Compact Separation

What is electrocoalescence ?
The electric field creates an attractive force between water droplets. This forces them to coalesce, and thereby the settling velocity increases. Electrodes

Water droplets

2008 6

Laboratory test with VIEC

VIEC feasibility tests are used to find the potential of the VIEC for a specific process and to optimize chemicals. Emulsions are mixed, exposed to demulsifier, and treated/not treated with the electric field. Droplet size distributions are always measured. The amount of free water separated with time is recorded.

100 ml

HV AC

VIEC Performance
100 90 Separation during normal residence time (%) 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Atmospheric viscosity (cP) WITH VIEC NO VIEC

VIEC will provide efficient bulk water removal in normal ranges of operational conditions. When normal gravitational separation gives some separation, the VIEC will provide more than 70% separation, usually even much better. For production separators in operation, a performance in the range from 2-8% BS&W in the oil outlet is usually achived.

Figure: Separation results of different crude oils as a function of the crude oil viscosity. Normal residence time, normal dosage of demulsifier, small droplets

Typical VIEC System

VIEC wall

VIEC Block

Control room

2008

Details of one VIEC wall

Spring loaded brake shoes

VIEC wall complete with tubing

HTVIEC High Temperature VIEC

The High Temperature VIEC (HTVIEC) has the same function as the epoxy VIEC Made to withstand high temperatures so that it may be installed in separators where high temperatures are required i.e for heavy and viscous oils The HTVIEC is designed to withstand 150C, and the material in the main components are stainless steel and ceramics Pilot installation will be july 2009 on Teekay Petrojarls FPSO for Petrobras Siri project for oil with API grade 12

HT VIEC Block
12

High Temperature VIEC Piloting on SIRI (Brasil)

ILMS
13

HT-VIEC

Modification of separator internals

2008

Aibels Computional Model for Wave Simulations in Separators

14

LOWACC Low Water Content Coalescer

The LOWACC is designed to operate downstream of the VIEC to knock out the last traces of water. Combined with the VIEC, this may enable one-stage separation and/or enhance heavy oil separation The LOWACC is particularly good for separators with difficult separation or heavy emulsions Due to longer retention time in the electrostatic field , LOWACC can in several cases provide export quality of oil (BS&W 0.5%) without any further treatment The LOWACC is planned to be released to the market this year (Piloting)

LOWACC

LOWACC Wall
15

Example - 80.000 BLPD separation module

Compact Separation
Size Weight Piping Structure Equipment Pumps Vessels Valves Instrument 9,3m x 16,3m (151 m2) 280 ton 30 ton 126 ton 0 2 50 % 40 %

Conv. Separation Module

16m x 28m (448 m2) 520 ton 140 ton 230 ton 6 (crude trans, pw trans, coal. trans) 3 100% 100%

16

2008

VIEC Installations
1. StatoilHydro, Troll C - Reduced chemical cons.and increased production API 29 2. Bluewater, FPSO Munin - Increased production API 26 3. StatoilHydro, Research Center - Improved separation API 17 - 32 4. Maersk Oil Qatar, Al Shaheen - Improved separation API 22 - 28 5. StatoilHydro, Grane - Improved separation, increased production API 19 6. Petrobras, P-34 - Improved separation of heavy oil API 17 7. Petrobras, P-35 - Cleaner Produced Water from heavy oil and reduced heating API 20 8. StatoilHydro, Volve - Improved separation, salt removal API 39 9. StatoilHydro, Fram East - Increased production API 29 10. Petrobras, P-37 Improved separation API 22 11. Woodside, Vincent - Improved separation, reduced residence time API 19-21 12. StatoilHydro, Heidrun - Improved separation, Naphtenates API 25 13. StatoilHydro, Gja - Expected emulsion problems API 50 14. BP, Valhall - Emulsion problems API 39
2008

15. BP, Schiehallion - Emulsion problems, Production restrictions API 27 16. Total, Ofon Emulsion problems, API 45

17

Summary of potential VIEC benefits

Increased Increased Reduced Reduced Reduced Reduced

production process uptime

weight & space chemical consumption emissions to sea consumption of energy

2008

Test Separator used at Cantarel field

18

19

Advanced Electrostatic Coalescers

VIEC
Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer
Bulk Water Removal 2 6 % Water in Oil

LOWACC
LOw WAter Content Coalescer Polishing unit. Export Oil Quality < 0,5 % Water in Oil

High Efficiency Compact Separation

LP Crude Degasser/ PW Degasser HP separator

Produced Water Treatment

2008

Interstage Heater

21

16. Total, Ofon Emulsion problems

Settling curves for OFON Oil, 60 deg C

Motivation:
The process design basis anticipates that stable oil/water emulsions will occur in the production separators. In addition Aromatic Rich Naphtha is present in the oil. This may cause deposits in the presence of emulsion making the emulsion more stable. The design of the process system has to take no separation in the MP separator into account. Therefore installation of the VIEC in the LP separator is required as a minimum to meet the design basis.
90 80 70 60 50 40

VIEC batch test for Ofon 30% WC, 60degC, no chemicals

VIEC OFF VIEC ON

Separated water (%)

30 20 10 0 0 10 20 Time (min) 30 40 50

VIEC batch test for Ofon 30% WC, 60degC, with demulsifier 100
90 80
Separated water (%)

VIEC batch test for Ofon 30% WC, 60degC, with demulsifier and acid

100 90 80

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 5 10 15 20

VIEC OFF VIEC ON

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 5

VIEC OFF, w/demulsifier and acid VIEC ON, w/demulsifier and acid

Time (min)

10 Time (min)

15

20

25

Result/Status:
VIEC improves the separation significantly for all conditions tested At 60 degC and no chemicals, VIEC increase the free water knock out by a factor of ten, from 7% to 70% after 5 min.
2008 22

VIEC installed in LP Separator. Brackets installed in MP separator. To be in operation in 2010

VIEC Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer

The VIEC is designed to solve emulsion and water in oil problems and provide efficient bulk water removal The VIEC can be installed inside the first- or second-stage separator, and thereby enhance speed and efficiency of the separation process Specifically designed to tolerate 100% water and gas, VIEC will contribute to more cost-effective and environmentally friendly production Increased production capacity Reduced heat requirements and chemical consumption Improved produced water quality Features: Tested oil range API 11-40 Suitable for both retrofit and new builds Open slots to prevent clogging Low voltage installation Fully insulated electrodes

23

LOWACC Low Water Content Coalescer

IP Position
Covered by own patents

Technology status
Pilot Technology, Installed in StatoilHydros test loop in Porgrunn (Norway) Ready for field piloting in 2009

Competitive position
Unique technology, but competes with alternative solutions:
Conventional electrostatic coalescers

Marked potential
Any installation new or retrofit where there are space or weight limitations

24

ILMS - Inductive Level Measurement System

The Inductive Level Measurement System (ILMS) is a unique level profiler Gives a profile of oil in water in addition to detecting sand depositions Able to detect rapidly moving oil/water interface The ILMS can measure both vertically and horizontally, and it can be installed in several places throughout the vessel, using the same 2 nozzles to penetrate the pressure vessel with cables Very robust to phenomena such as scaling

Conductivity profile
Electronics
Signal/Conductivity

Oil continuous emulsion Water continuous emulsion

Oil cont. Sensor elements Water cont.

Crude Oil

Easiest to detect

Water

25

ILMS - Inductive Level Measurement System

IP Position
License agreement with GE (Vetco Gray)

Technology status
Allready Piloted technology, installed subsea on Troll C Will be Installed medio 2009 on Teekay Petrojarls FPSO for Petrobras Siri project for oil with API grade 12

Competitive position
competes with alternative solutions:
Nucleonic density profilers Condictive level profilers Radar/ultrasound

Marked potential
Cheap and robust none nucleonic level (Oil Water) interface All separators with oil/water interface control
26

HECS High Efficiency Compact Separation

The HECS concept combines T&P's technology such as VIEC, LOWACC and ILMS, and will offer more efficient and compact separators requiring fewer stages compared to a conventional system

80.000 BLPD example

Size Total weight Piping Structure Pumps Vessels

Conv Sep. module

16m x 28m (448m2) 520 ton 140 ton 230 ton 6 4

HECS
9m x 16 m (144 m2) 280 ton 30 ton 126 ton 0 2

Additional advantages
Cleaner oil Cleaner produced water Les chemical consumption Less heating Smaller supports on deck

27

ILMS - Description of the system

ILMS rod
Ferrite sensors/gas tight feedthrough for each sensor Installed during shut-down or from 4 flange (future product)

Penetrator Junction box

Standard Eex e junction box Certified Ex certificate: DNV-2001-OSL-ATEX-0176

Cable
BFOU cable 1.5 mm2 twisted pairs, individually screened Fire and flame retardant, halogen-free, <90 oC, <250 V Cables up to 70 meter has been qualified

Electronics
2009

All electronics in cabinet in safe area Communication over TCP/IP (analog output)

28

Technology for improving the Topside designs

Competitive advantages for increased production, while reducing emissions to sea and air:
Separation technology:
Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer (VIEC) Low Water Content Coalescer (LOWACC) Inductive Level Measurement System (ILMS) Separators w/ internals Sand Management Produced Water Treatment
Technology for a global future

Gas technology:
Flare Gas Recovery Flare Gas Ignition HC Blanketing VOC Recovery LP Gas Compression

Operational support, studies, and troubleshooting

Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory services

Sea Water Filtration technology:

PuriTech Fine Filter

HECS High Efficiency Compact Separation

IP Position
Covered by own patents for products (Viec ,Lowacc, Combined Sep/Degasser)

Technology status
Conceptual technology based on patented products. Depends on successful Lowacc piloting

Competitive position
Unique IP protected compact separation Highly competitive where size, weight and transportability are important issues

Marked potential All process module installations where size and weight are important
Portable units Retrofit units
30

LOWACC current design

LOWACC plates
Planar insulated electrodes (similar materials as qualified for the VIEC) Planar non-insulated electrodes Transformer is similar to the VIEC

Internal tubing and external junction box

Similar as qualified for the VIEC 230 V

Power supply and software

Similar as qualified for the VIEC

Separation Technology Products

ILMS HECS High Efficiency Compact Separation Separators

VIEC/HTVIEC LOWACC PuriTech

32

Typical Size and Weights

80.000 blpd W x L 9300 x 16300 280 tonnes EL UPPER/LOWER DECK 7400

2008

30.000 blpd W x L 8500 x 14000 210 tonnes EL U./L DECK 6900

33

VIEC Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer

The Vessel Internal Electrostatic Coalescer (VIEC) solves problems with emulsion and water in oil.
Fully insulated electrodes. Tolerate 100% water/gas Installation in 1st or 2nd stage separator Suitable for both retrofit and new builds Low voltage installation. (220 230 V) Unit Power use: 10-30 kW/wall Installed for oil range API 17- 40 Tested oil range API 11- 40 Temperature max 90 C

34

2008