Adding Silica Nanoparticles to Improve the Demulsification Process in a Crude Oil Central Processing Facility: A Techno-economic Analysis

Babkir Ali,Gail Adams

doi:10.47959/ajet.2021.1.1.6

Abstract

In this study, a techno-economic evaluation of the use of silica nanoparticles to enhance the demulsification process in crude oil has been investigated. A software model has been developed in MS Excel of the central processing facility (CPF) treating Fula heavy crude oil in Balila, Sudan. A sensitivity analysis of key parameters on production cost and Net Present Value (NPV) has been carried out for different flowsheet selection options. Comparison of flowsheets on equal plant capacity basis results in a 19% reduction in the production cost, whereas comparison on fixed annual crude oil processing basis results in a reduction in production cost of only 3.7%.

Highlights

Removing produced water from the crude oil is crucial as it may cause many technical problems like dripping and corrosion of pipes [1]
The second factor that has a great influence on the Net Present Value (NPV) is the feed flow rate
A techno-economic analysis was conducted for the use of silica nanoparticles in a central processing facility (CPF) processing Fula heavy crude oil (Balila, Sudan)

Summary

Introduction

Removing produced water from the crude oil is crucial as it may cause many technical problems like dripping and corrosion of pipes [1]. It is important for the crude oil to meet the required international specifications prior to export. Produced water mixes with the crude oil in two ways: as free water, which settles down rapidly by gravity in sedimentation tanks, and as an emulsion, which disperses in the form of droplets in the oil phase. One of which is based on the addition of silica nano-particles, to commonly used chemical demulsifiers, to enhance their effectiveness in removing the emulsion [2, 3]. This work was motivated by the technological viability of this method to investigate its economic feasibility through a detailed techno-economic analysis

Methods

Results

Conclusion