Schmoo and Emulsions – Challenges Influencing the Selection and Operation of Produced Water Treatment
promote the dispersion of oil droplets throughout a continuous phase of water). Emulsion stability refers to the ability of an emulsion to resist change in its properties over time. There are three types of emulsion instability: flocculation, coalescence and creaming. Flocculation describes the process by which the dispersed phase comes out of suspension in flakes. Coalescence is another form of instability that describes when small droplets combine to form progressively larger ones. Emulsions can also undergo creaming – the migration of one of the substances to the top (or the bottom, depending on the relative densities of the two phases) of the emulsion under the influence of buoyancy or centripetal force when a centrifuge is used.
Water-in-oil-in-water multiple emulsions are emulsion systems where small water droplets are entrapped within larger oil droplets, which are in turn dispersed in a continuous water phase.
Produced Water
Emulsions in Produced Water Treatment Plants
Figure 3 shows oil droplets studied in different produced water treatment plants. Figures 3A and 3B show small stable oil droplets in the water phase. The oil droplets are typically covered with an active surface layer, hindering coalescence. When the droplets are as small as in this case, they are difficult to remove with existing types of water treatment equipment, which typically remove hydrocyclones (90% of oil droplets >15µm); flotation (90% of oil droplets >10µm); and compact flotation units (>90% removal of oil droplets >3–5µm).
Figure 3C shows oil droplets with water droplets inside and Figure 3D shows a solid particle covered with high amounts of small oil droplets. In both cases, the density of the oil is significantly changed. In difficult cases, the ‘oil’ we are trying to remove has a similar density to water, hindering the centrifugal forces (hydrocyclones) or flotation processes (compact flotation units) from working.
Figure 3E shows an emulsion containing oil droplets and solids. This is typically found in systems where scale has been formed and scale inhibitors are added to limit scale build-up to larger aggregates.
Figure 3F shows the results after extraction of the oil from the solid particles. The fine solids have accumulated on the interface between the pentane and the water phase.
Figure 3G shows a produced water with a stable emulsion and Figure 3H shows how small the oil droplets are (90% <5µm). Stable emulsions in the produced water shown in Figure 3 could be caused by surface-active chemicals or solids.
Production Chemicals and Solids in Produced Water
Traces of production chemicals commonly follow the produced water stream. Many production chemicals possess surface-active properties and during interactions with oil/solids/gas the separation mechanisms can be negatively affected. Figures 3A and 3B show oil droplets being stabilised by surfactants. Solids cause significant problems in produced water
treatment production separator (see Figure 1), while finer particles follow the
systems. Larger particles accumulate in the
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