Hygienic Assessment of the Risk of Disturbance of the Thermal State of Operators Employed in Oil Production and Treatment Enterprises in the Subarid Area

Processes of oil production, gathering, transportation and treatment are accompanied by scaling of radioactive materials (NORM) on technological equipment. Previously, as a rule, radiative influence at the expense of only external irradiation was estimated during servicing and repair of this equipment. Risk of internal irradiation at the expense of radon and other alpha-emitting isotopes was considered only for technological processes of gathering and treatment of natural and associated gas. The presentation is dedicated to risk evaluation of personnel internal irradiation in servicing and repair of the equipment contaminated by NORM. Investigation results are obtained based on physical-chemical properties of scales, study isotope composition of radioactive materials determination and laboratory tests of scales emanating power. Results have been compared with emanation of pure salts. Field and laboratory experiments showed that radon discharge up to 30-50 *10-3 Ci into atmosphere is possible during repair of contaminated equipment. Minimum fivefold air exchange is required to remove residual radon activity from technological vessels. Evaluation of internal irradiation dose in the process of servicing and repair of NORM contaminated equipment has been carried out. Results of studies should be taken into consideration when organizing works for servicing and repair of technological equipment, as well as for development of its design. Introduction The problem of radioactive contamination of technological equipment, environment during production, gathering, transportation, treatment and processing of oil and gas has a global character. According to Dr. Gray's data about 30% of the producing oil wells in the USA are contaminated with radioactive salts. Radioactive scales are also revealed on technological equipment of oil and gas fields in North sea as well as in other regions of the world. In oil fields of Tatarstan radioactive scaling on the equipment of wells was for the first time recorded in the middle of 60s. At the end of 80s there was found out an intensive creation of radioactive scales on technological equipment of the most oil treatment units (OTU) and tank farms (TF). Radioactive scales in production and treatment of oil are also recorded in practically all main producing regions of the former USSR. Presence of considerable amount of radioactive materials on technological equipment during production and treatment of oil, and gas may lead to personnel irradiation exceeding allowable levels and creates potential hazard to environmental pollution. As a rule, in previous investigations of scales, being created during production and treatment of oil only uranium, thorium and radium isotopes content was studied, while in evaluation of radiative situation only possibility of external irradiation was considered. The role of radon and its decay products in pollution of environment and internal personnel irradiation was not practically studied. Liberation of radon with decay products from scales and their entry into atmosphere may lead to radioactive pollution of environment, which increases the risk of internal personnel irradiation. In this connection this paper has studied the intensity of radon accumulation and liberation at different stages of oil treatment technological processes. The results of the work are obtained on basis of laboratory experiments, analysis of scientific-technical information and calculations. P. 845

With the rolling development of Suqiao-Wenan Oilfield, the original small treatment station-Station Wen 11, cannot satisfy production requirements. It is necessary to reform and expand the crude oil storage and treatment capacity, water-injection capability and natural gas treatment capacity, on the basis of the original construction; establish new crude oil treatment, fire-fighting and heating systems, as well as supporting systems like crude oil loading and unloading, automatic monitoring and cathodic protection systems, to form a medium-sized centralized oil-gas-water treatment station with complete functions. This paper introduces design, implementation and application effect of the process automation system after Station Wen 11 undergoes reconstruction and expansion.

Development of an effective design for a down-hole water sink to control water in oil production wells

The petrochemical market is a necessary element of resource supply for all sectors of the economy. The petrochemical market is a necessary element of resource supply for all sectors of the economy. In its development, petrochemicals are ahead of related industries, such as oil production and refining. Even today, the volume of sales in monetary terms significantly exceeds the volume of sales of oil or petroleum products. In the future, the global petrochemical market will continue to grow faster than the oil and petroleum products market. The annual growth of the production rate of multi-tonnage plastics is expected to reach 5% by 2023, and the production of polyester fibers-6%. At the same time, the growth rate of oil demand, according to the Energy Information Agency (USA), will be 1.7% per year, including in developed countries – about 1% per year. The petrochemical industry is characterized by rapid development of scientific and technological progress, increasing the efficiency of public production. Even today, the volume of sales in monetary terms significantly exceeds the volume of sales of oil or petroleum products. In the future, the global petrochemical market will continue to grow faster than the oil and petroleum products market. The annual growth of the production rate of multi-tonnage plastics is expected to reach 5% by 2023, and the production of polyester fibers-6%. At the same time, the growth rate of oil demand, according to the Energy Information Agency (USA), will be 1.7% per year, including in developed countries – about 1% per year. The petrochemical industry is characterized by rapid development of scientific and technological progress, increasing the efficiency of public production.

The relevance of this study stems from the need to find optimal solutions for improving the environmental safety of the oil treatment process in oil production while simultaneously reducing production costs.The objective of this study is to evaluate the economic efficiency of a project to improve the oil treatment process. To achieve this goal, the authors addressed the following objectives: analyzing the oil treatment process in oil production, highlighting the environmental issues associated with the use of vertical settling tanks. The design features of flat-bottomed vertical settling tanks prompted the authors (as another objective of this study) to consider a different vertical settling tank design that would eliminate accidental overflows and ensure uninterrupted operation while reducing wastewater consumption. To address the next objective of this study, the authors calculated static indicators of the economic efficiency of a project to improve the oil treatment process.In this study, the authors examined the environmental and technological aspects of using vertical settling tanks in oil treatment in oil production. Analysis of operational data shows that existing settling tank designs, under certain operating conditions, result in increased oil content in the water fraction, soil contamination, and increased hydrocarbon emissions into the atmosphere. In this regard, the authors proposed replacing vertical flat-bottomed settling tanks with larger, conical-bottomed structures, which will eliminate accidental overflows and improve treatment efficiency. The authors' calculations confirm the economic feasibility of the project, specifically: an 80 % increase in the oil treatment unit's production capacity, a 29 % reduction in the cost of treated oil, and a payback period of 1.4 years for the one-time costs. Implementation of the proposed measures will help reduce the negative impact on the environment and improve the efficiency of the oil treatment unit.

In oil-producing countries, water pollution by crude petroleum oil frequently occurs and causes many environmental problems. This study aims to investigate the effect of crude petroleum oil on the growth and functional trails of the economically important freshwater plant Azolla pinnata R. Br. and to report on the plant’s resistance to this abiotic stress. Plants were raised in an open greenhouse experiment under different levels of crude oil pollution ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 g/L. Plant functional traits were monitored over a three-week period. Plant cover of A. pinnata was decreased with the increased levels of oil pollution. The total chlorophyll content decreased from 0.76 mg/g fresh weight under 2 g/L oil treatment after 21 days of growth. The chlorophyll a/b ratio exceeded the unity at crude oil treatments above 1 g/L, with values reaching 2.78 after seven days, while after 21 days, the ratio ranged from 1.14 to 1.31. The carotenoid content ranged from 0.17 mg/g in the control to 0.11 mg/g in the 2 g/L oil treatment. The carotenoid content varied over time in relation to DNA% damage, which increased from 3.63% in the control to 11.36% in the highest oil treatment level of 2 g/L. The crude oil stress caused severe damage in the frond tissues and chloroplast structure of A. pinnata, including a less compacted palisade, the malformation of the epidermis, the disintegration of parenchyma tissue, and the lysis and malformation of the chloroplasts. Since A. pinnata cannot withstand high concentrations of crude oil pollution, it is for use in the remediation of slightly polluted freshwaters up to 0.5 g/L.

To justify energy-saving measures in certain oil-production enterprises it is necessary to classify facilities, social and economic results of energy saving and means of their achievement to validate the system of energy-saving efficiency in oil sector. It is essential to take into account the peculiarities of the economic efficiency of the set of energy-saving measures which are determined by the specific character of energy efficiency at different stages of the process and take place in production, treatment and transportation of oil in oil-production enterprises. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3p766

Water in oil emulsion occurs at many stages in the production and treatment of crude oil. About two thirds of the produce of every new oil field exists in the form of water-in-oil emulsions. The emulsion stability results from the presence of interfacial barrier preventing coalescence of the dispersed water droplets; this is due to the present of polar components such as asphaltenes, resins, and wax and naphtenic acids in the crude oil. Therefore, before transporting or refining the oil, it is essential to separate the water for economic and operational reasons. In this research, three demulsifiers were used (Igepal co-720, Tween 40 and Tween 20) with the experimental work performed under room temperature. The results obtained with chemical demulsifier Igepal co-720 with Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) of 14 were {31, 27, 24, 22 and 22%} of water separated from 5,4,3,2 and 1 ml concentration respectively at 60 to 120minutes optimum separation time. Similarly, from chemical demulsifier Tween 40 with HLB of 16 was {80, 74, 72, 70 and 55%) water separated from 5,4,3,2, and 1ml concentration respectively at 60 to 120minutes Optimum separation time. Finally, results obtained from chemical demulsifier Tween 20 with HLB of 17 were {95, 83, 67, 60 and 50%} respectively of water resolved from 5,4,3,2, and 1ml concentration at 60 to 120 optimum separation time. Comparing the three different chemical demulsifiers, it showed that Tween 20 has highest resolving power followed by Tween 40 and the least Igepal co-720. From this result it could be deduced that the higher HLB, the higher the separation of water in emulsion. In addition, a ranking of the demulsifiers used showed that highest capacity demulsifier was the demulsifier with highest HLB.

It is well known that heavy oil and oil sands thermal recovery operations produce oil-laden solids and sludges which are difficult to treat and to dispose of safely. The oil-laden sediments and sludges, which commonly accumulate in oil field produced fluids separators and treaters and at the bottom of storage tanks, are usually not readily amenable to conventional methods of treatment and disposal. Such materials, commonly called produced so/ids, typically consist of oily sand, precipitates and emulsified oil and water. The nature of produced solids at Shell Canada '5 steam-enhanced heavy oil recovery facility at Peace River is described; and the development of a new process for treating produced solids that allows removal, and recovery, of hydrocarbons associated with the solids and thereby assists in the safe disposal of the residual solids is discussed. The process comprises mainly feed conditioning, hydrocarbon removal and recovery, and water removal steps. The basic concepts of the process may also be applicable to oily waste other than produced solids such as soil contaminated in an oil spill or from oil storage or refinery operations. Introduction In the production and treatment of crude oils, especially in heavy oil and oil sands thermal recovery operations, the generation of oily produced solids waste is a well known problem and poses difficulties in the treatment of produced fluids and in disposal of the solids. Based on industry surveys(l), the annual volume of oily produced solids, excluding untreatable slop oils and spill debris, at Canadian heavy oil operations approaches 50 000 m3. In comparison, the volume of produced sand, tank bottoms, separator sludges and associated solids in the United States is in the order of 200 000 m3 (more than half in California)(2). Due to their appreciable hydrocarbon and brine contents and their physical nature, produced solids are not readily amenable to conventional methods of treatment and disposal and can represent a significant loss in crude oil production. In many cases, produced solids are combined with slop oils and spill debris and stored in on-site "ecology pits". Such oily mixtures have been utilized for road dust suppression and in the preparation of road surfacing material(3). Studies on land farming methods for disposal of oily waste sludges suggest that this concept may be possible but major changes in soil properties could adversely influence end use of the land(4,5). Previously, numerous methods have been investigated for recovery of oil from produced solids including thermal retorting by the AOSTRA Taciuk Process(6,7), use of coal(8) solvent extraction and mechanical means(9). An oily sand cleaning system, consisting of a set of hydrocyclones for removal of oil and water and a dewatering screen for removal of additional water is reported(10). Incineration methods may also be an attractive option for decontaminating the solids and energy recovery. Injection of a slurry of the oily produced solids and water into an underground formation has been demonstrated to be a viable option but successful injection is greatly affected by the characteristics of the produced solids and the disposal formation selected(11).

Oil/water emulsions are one of the major threats to environment nowadays, occurs at many stages in the production and treatment of crude oil. The oil recovery process adopted will depend on how the oil is present in the water stream. Oil can be found as free oil, as an unstable oil/water emulsion and also as a highly stable oil/water emulsion. The current study was dedicated to the application of microbubble air flotation process for the removal of such oily emulsions for its characters of cost-effective, simple structure, high efficiency and no secondary pollution. The influence of several key parameters on the process removal efficiency was examined, namely, initial oil concentration, pH value of the emulsion, and the effect of adding sodium chloride. The effect of bubble size on the performance of the separation process and its impact on removal efficiency was also investigated. The results demonstrated that removal efficiency obtained by using microbubbles flotation was higher by factor of 1.72 in comparison with that achieved with fine bubbles. The removal efficiency of oil droplets was increased with the increasing of flotation time and initial oil concentration. The removal efficiency reached up 60.68% under alkaline conditions (pH≈9), and it increased to around 75% by decreasing the emulsion acidity to around (pH≈3). The addition of sodium chloride has a significant influence to the efficiency of the flotation process. The efficiency could be reached to about 84% by adding 1 gL−1 of NaCl to the emulsion. While increasing the NaCl concentration to 9 gL−1 resulted in reduction in removal efficiency to around 80%.

Thermal energy storage system for energy conservation and water desalination in power plants

The use of magnetic fluid conditioning (MFC) technology to treat downhole wax deposition in the production of waxy crude oil has sparked considerable controversy. A variety of claims have been made about the success rate of the technology in field applications. The interpretation of results from MFC field treatments is extremely difficult, since field conditions involve a number of uncontrolled parameters, including oil composition and gas content, downhole temperature and pressure, and flow rate. In an effort to examine the influence of a magnetic field on wax precipitation from crude oil, a set of laboratory experiments was performed under controlled conditions. The experiments demonstrated that the application of a magnetic field can have a measurable effect on waxy crude oil. Properties of waxy crude oil samples, such as viscosity and wax out temperature, were measured before and after magnetic treatment. No changes in the wax out temperature were detected. Increases in the viscosity of oil samples following treatment were observed, but only when the temperature at which an experiment was performed was close to the wax out temperature of the sample. However, not all of the experiments performed near the wax out temperature of the oil resulted in measurable magnetic effects. The variability in the experimental results suggests that all of the key factors affecting the magnetic treatment process were not identified or adequately addressed. The results indicate, though, that one key factor is the state of wax saturation in the oil as it is undergoing magnetic treatment. A mechanism that may account for the magnetic effects observed in the experiments is proposed. Some implications of this mechanism on field applications of magnetic technology are presented. Introduction One of the major problems faced in the production of waxy crude oil is wax deposition in producing wells and associated piping and production facilities. A technology that has been proposed for handling wax deposition is magnetic fluid conditioning (MFC). To date, this technology has achieved varying degrees of success in field applications. Attempts to improve the effectiveness of MFC technology have been hindered by a lack of understanding of the mechanisms that may be responsible for the influence of a magnetic field on wax deposition. The scientific literature on magnetic fluid conditioning is contained almost exclusively in Russian and Chinese journals. For the most part, these papers mention some experimental evidence of magnetic treatment effects on waxy crude oils, but provide little supporting details about the experiments. Moreover, the observations are not consistent from paper to paper, and no credible explanation of the mechanisms involved in magnetic treatment is advanced in any of the papers. The patent literature associated with magnetic fluid conditioning technologies is largely US based. Although a handful of patents have been granted in which the treatment of waxy crude oils is identified as an application, a large number (more than 100) of others have listed water treatment (prevention of scaling) as the intended application. The devices for the latter application are generally similar in design to those for the former.

The use of magnetic fluid conditioning (MFC) technology to treat downhole problems with wax deposition in the production of waxy crude oil has sparked considerable controversy. A variety of claims have been made about the success rate of the technology in field applications. The interpretation of results from MFC field treatments is extremely difficult, since field conditions involve a number of uncontrolled parameters, including oil composition and gas content, downhole temperature and pressure, and flow rate. In an effort to examine the influence of a magnetic field on wax precipitation from crude oil, a set of laboratory experiments was performed under controlled conditions. The experiments demonstrated that the application of a magnetic field can have a measurable effect on wary crude oil. Properties of wary crude oil samples, such as viscosity and wax out temperature, were measured before and after magnetic treatment. No changes in the wax out temperature were detected. Increases in the viscosity of oil samples following treatment were observed, but only when the temperature at which an experiment was performed was close to the wax out temperature of the sample. However, not all of the experiments performed near the wax out temperature of the oil resulted in measurable magnetic effects. The variability in the experimental results suggests that all of the key factors affecting the magnetic treatment process were not identified or adequately addressed. The results indicate, though, that one key factor is the state of wax saturation in the oil as it is undergoing magnetic treatment. A mechanism that may account for the magnetic effects observed in the experiments will be proposed. Some implications of this mechanism on field applications of magnetic technology will be considered. Introduction One of the major problems faced in the production of waxy crude oil is wax deposition in producing wells and associated piping and production facilities. A technology that has been proposed for handling wax deposition is magnetic fluid conditioning (MFC). To date, this technology has achieved varying degrees of success in field applications. Attempts to improve the effectiveness of MFC technology have been hindered by a lack of understanding of the mechanisms that may be responsible for the influence of a magnetic field on wax deposition. The scientific literature on magnetic fluid conditioning is contained almost exclusively in Russian and Chinese journals. For the most part, these papers mention some experimental evidence of magnetic treatment effects on waxy crude oils, but provide little supporting details about the experiments. Moreover, the observations are not consistent from paper to paper, and no credible explanation of the mechanisms involved in magnetic treatment is advanced in any of the papers. The patent literature associated with magnetic fluid conditioning technologies is largely US-based. Although only a handful of patents have been granted in which the treatment of waxy crude oils is identified as an application, a large number (more than 100) of others have listed water treatment (prevention of scaling) as the intended application. The devices for the latter application are generally similar in design to those for the former.

Some socio-economic indicators in the Mexican states of the Gulf of Mexico

Sustainable energy system analysis modeling environment: Analyzing life cycle emissions of the energy transition