Kemtrak Petrochemical & Offshore Applications: Crude Oil in Water

What is crude oil?
 
Crude oil is a yellow-to-black liquid consisting of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds.

Crude oil will not mix with water, however under certain conditions crude oil will form an oil-in-water emulsion with a turbidity proportional to the oil concentration.

The Kemtrak TC007 can be used to measure:

•     0 – 10% light crude oil in water
•     Real time continuous measurement
•     Oil in produced water
•     Condensate and cooling water.

How can the Kemtrak TC007 be used to measure crude oil in water?

Crude oil in water can be accurately measured using a Kemtrak TC007 process turbidimeter.

One of the main benefits of the Kemtrak TC007 process turbidimeter is that all of the electronics, including the long-life, high performance LED light source and photodetectors, are encased within the TC007 analyser enclosure, allowing safe operation in even the most hazardous of environments.

Industrial grade optic fibres are used to transfer low power cold light from within the TC007 analyser enclosure to the sampling point and back.

As crude oil will not mix with water, it is vital that the sample under analysis has a turbulent flow to ensure sample homogeneity.

The image below shows 5% light crude oil in water directly after being shaken (left) and then after five minutes (right):

What were the results of the analysis?

The calibration below was made using light crude oil (ρ=830 kg.m -3 @15°C, ν=3.51 mm.s -1 @20 °C) between 0 – 5 % oil in distilled water.

The sample was hand shaken (5s) then immediately analysed.

How do you install the equipment to undertake this analysis of crude oil in water?

The most critical factor necessary for this analysis is a turbulent flow. It is recommended to use a narrow bore measurement cell and install this on a bypass line where water is available to zero the instrument and flush the cell when not in use. A narrow bore 1⁄4” or 1⁄2” NPT thread type measurement cell is typical for this application.

Under operation the high-speed turbulent flow will keep the sapphire windows free from deposits. When not in use the measurement cell should be flushed with water to prevent sticky deposits from accumulating on the optical surfaces.

The image below shows the Kemtrak 1⁄4” NPT industrial fibre optic measurement cell available in 316L, Monel 400, titanium or Hastelloy.

The cell has the added benefits of being maintenance free and containing scratch-resistant sapphire windows. In addition, as there are no electronics or moving parts, this makes it the perfect choice for use in hazardous areas.

Where can I find out more about the Kemtrak TC007 and its applications?

To discover more about how this popular instrument can help with colour monitoring, chemical concentration, water measurement in organics, and more, please contact us on 01442 876777 or email us at: sales@fullbrook.com.