Turbiscan for petroleum applications: Turbiscan for petroleum applications


Slide2: Contents Oil stability Crude oil emulsion Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) The Turbiscan technology Crude oil demulsification ASTM D7061 for HFO stability


Slide3: Crude oil emulsion Water + crude = emulsion Advantages Easier to extract Easier to transport Drawbacks Problems in refinery


Slide4: Problem: separate water from the crude oil Solution: use demulsifier molecules (polymeric surfactant) Constraints: use of chemical (type & concentration) Environmental reasons Need: test the efficiency of the additives (demulsifiers) Crude oil emulsion


Heavy Fuel stability: Crude oil and refining HFO Heavy Fuel stability


Slide6: Crude oil quality Worst quality Large variation in composition Blending from various origins Refinery processes Higher demand on light products (gasoline, diesel…) More efficient (hydrocraking, visbreaking…) Why stability is getting worse ? HFO composition more critical Heavy Fuel stability


Slide7: Asphaltenes precipitation: Change in fuel composition (solubility issues during blending) Asphaltenes not dispersed anymore in fuel because of aging Practical issues Blockage of pipes, storage tank Fouling in refineries Plugging of filters and heat exchanger Combustion issues Stability issues Heavy Fuel stability


Slide8: Determine the stability of the oil Spot test Hot filtration P-value Use asphaltenes dispersant Find the right additive Optimise the amount of additive What are the solutions ? Heavy Fuel stability


Heavy Fuel stability: Spot test: Subjective Not accurate Hot filtration Does not actually measure stability P-value Time consuming Not appropriate for dispersant Current tests methods Heavy Fuel stability


Oil stability: Need for an accurate, fast and objective technique to measure the stability of oils Turbiscan® technology Oil stability


Turbiscan Technology: Measurement of fast destabilisations Analysis of diluted to concentrated products High vertical resolution Acquisition of the : - Transmitted flux (T) and - Backscattered flux (BS) 1 Acquisition every 40 µm One scan lasts 20 seconds Turbiscan Technology


Slide12: One scan Height (mm) Backscattering (%) Acquisition time of each profile Height (mm) Multi scans Principle of measurement Turbiscan Technology


Slide13: Particle size variation Coalescence or flocculation Particle migration Sedimentation or creaming t=0 min t=15 min t=0 min t=15 min Turbiscan Technology


Slide14: Contents Oil stability Crude oil emulsion Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) The Turbiscan technology Crude oil demulsification ASTM D7061 for HFO stability


Slide15: Crude oil demulsification C. Dalmazzone, C. Noïk, «Development of New «green» Demulsifiers for Oil Production », SPE65041 French Institute of Petroleum (IFP) study Methodology Preparation of stable emulsions Selection of chemical families Bottle Tests measurements Turbiscan measurements Selection of the most efficient chemical family Characterization of silicone performance


Slide16: Crude oil demulsification Bottle tests Qualitative study First evaluation of separation ability of different surfactants Enables a large screening to select best family of additives: Criteria: 80% of separated water Thin layer water/oil interface Clear separated water Test duration : 12 hours C. Dalmazzone, C. Noïk, «Development of New «green» Demulsifiers for Oil Production », SPE65041


Slide17: Crude oil demulsification Turbiscan Qualitative & Quantitative study Selection of the best additive Optimization of the additive concentration Criteria: width of T peak = height of separated water height of T peak = Limpidity of separated water C. Dalmazzone, C. Noïk, «Development of New «green» Demulsifiers for Oil Production », SPE65041


Slide18: Crude oil demulsification Turbiscan Limpidity (clarity) height w o C. Dalmazzone, C. Noïk, «Development of New «green» Demulsifiers for Oil Production », SPE65041


Slide19: Crude oil demulsification « Separation rate » => %T = f(time) 300 ppm is the best concentration Turbiscan C. Dalmazzone, C. Noïk, «Development of New «green» Demulsifiers for Oil Production », SPE65041


Slide20: Crude oil demulsification Phase separation mechanisms Analysis of the Backscattering profiles Formation of a dense packed zone Local variation at the bottom: Sediment layer Decrease of the BS at the middle: Coalescence Turbiscan


Slide21: Crude oil demulsification Complementary technique to bottle tests Objective & repeatable data Measurement of separation rate Measure of the water limpidity rate Detection of the dense packed zone To determine the best surfactant at the optimal concentration Turbiscan


Slide22: Contents Oil stability Crude oil emulsion Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) The Turbiscan technology Crude oil demulsification ASTM D7061 for HFO stability


ASTM D7061: Dilution of oil in heptane 15 mins analysis Stable ? Unstable? HFO + toluene Method description ASTM D7061 No calibration


ASTM D7061: ASTM D7061 To disperse all potentially flocculated asphaltenes To achieve comparable transmission level, dilution rate depends of HFO grade Method description Step 1-a: Dilution of HFO in toluene Contact for 1 to 3 hours to achieve reproducible data


ASTM D7061: Step 1-b: Addition of HFO+toluene with heptane to flocculate the asphaltenes ASTM D7061 Method description 23 mL of heptane 2 mL of HFO + toluene


ASTM D7061: ASTM D7061 Method description Step 2: 15 minutes analysis with the Turbiscan Heavy Fuel


ASTM D7061: ASTM D7061 Method description Step 3: Automatic result calculation 010 : Low stability reserve = Easy flocculation


ASTM D7061: ASTM D7061 What is the separability number? T mean value (%) Time (min) Height (mm) Transmission (%) Transmission (%) Separability number = Standard Deviation Height (mm)


ASTM D7061: ASTM D7061 If HFO unstable Flocculation and sedimentation of asphaltenes Important variation of transmission vs time High standard deviation S > 10 What is the separability number?


ASTM D7061: Addition of dispersant  Quick monitoring of dispersant efficiency and dosing Stabilisation of unstable HFO ASTM D7061 stable unstable


Slide31: ASTM D7061 Simulation of Oil Storage in a tank HFO + additives T°C = 120°C Analysis every 24 hours S1 : Stabilizer S2: Stabiliszer SC1: Stabilizer + combustion catalyst Oil sample AFTER 1 WEEK STORAGE


Slide32: ASTM D7061 Objective Reliable Repeatable Fast Easy to operate Transportable Turbiscan test method is:


Slide33: Conclusion The Turbiscan is: a flexible instrument (many applications) Easy technique Quick analysis Quantitative and qualitative


Conclusion: Conclusion Other applications of Turbiscan in oil industry: Drilling fluids Lubricant Bitumen emulsion