An Experimental Model To Predict And Control Oilfield Emulsion Tightness: A Novel Approach

Crude oil is seldom produced alone from reservoirs. It is always produced as a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and formation water. 1 These mixtures undergo extreme agitation under high shear rate and turbulence as they flow from the reservoir pores through perforated casing into the wellbore, to the tubing and finally through the surface production facilities. This occurrence causes the water phase to be dispersed and stabilized as fine droplets in the bulk oil phase and hence forms emulsion. Emulsion is among the many problems encountered in the production, transport, and refining of crude oil and dealing with this complex structural arrangements account for much of the expenses incurred by oil companies in their daily operations.2 Their control and resolution is among the major challenges encountered both onshore and offshore by production engineers, production chemists and facilities engineers during production, especially in a complex multi-wells system. Emulsion problems are usually more problematic in fields where heavy crude oils are produced.