Pressure Changes Effects of the Outlet Free Water Knock Out on the Oil in Water: a Case Study for Karakus Field, Adiyaman - Turkey

Abstract

Abstract Over the past few decades, oil recovery is becoming a more significant issue. Not only in reservoirs but also in surface equipment, the loss of oil has to be degraded owing to its value. Especially, in Karakus Field, Turkey, throughout a year, more than 6,000 bbl oil is lost from just free water knock out (FWKO) which is a strikingly challenge which has to be dealt with. Technically, due to stability of microemulsion for oil in water, the loss of oil occurs. In terms of increasing operating pressure of FWKO, entropy decreases. Thus, increments of Gibbs free energy can be supplied. Consequently, by breaking the stability of microemulsion, better quality separation can be obtained in disposal water. This study explained that oil loss from outlet of the FWKO was attenuated by increasing pressure of vessel, while other parameters were steady such as temperature, inlet and outlet flow rate and etc. in Karakus Field. By 50 psi gradually increment of vessel pressure from 100 psi to 300 psi, quantity of oil in water from outlet of the vessel was observed at 4,300 and 6,200 bbl/day disposal water rates. By augmenting the pressure of knock out, oil in disposal water which was conveyed to injection wells reduces dramatically. According to experimental results, a significant relation as exponentially between pressure and oil in water was found. Briefly, 900 and 1,500 bbl of oil can be saved annually in order with two disposal water rates.