How much oil, how much water, how fine
In oil production and refining, water is mixed into oil as an emulsion, and drilling fluids are carefully made emulsions. How much water there is, how finely it is dispersed, and how fast it separates after a chemical is added, decide how a stream is treated. Oil and water relax at different speeds, so one measurement gives both amounts.
Where it is used
- Crude-oil emulsions and process samples
- Drilling fluids, with their water, oil and viscosity
- Slop oil and other mixed streams
Typical tasks are measuring the water fraction, following the droplet size, and screening chemicals that break emulsions, called demulsifiers.
Reading the separation
The sample is measured as it is. The amounts of oil and water are read from the signals of the two components, and the droplet size is obtained with a field gradient from the restricted movement of the molecules inside the droplets. To screen a demulsifier, the same sample is measured repeatedly after the chemical has been added, and the separated water is followed in time.
What it adds
- Works on opaque, dark and viscous samples as they are
- No dilution and no solvent
- Water and oil in one measurement
- The same sample can be followed over time, which suits chemical screening
Points that matter in practice
- Very heavy oils relax quickly, and their signal can overlap with that of water. Check the separation for your samples
- Paramagnetic solids such as clays and rust shorten relaxation times and can disturb the reading
- Mix the sample well before filling the tube, since oil and water separate on standing
- Droplet size measurement needs a gradient option, and it works within a range of sizes
- Calibrate with samples of known water content from your own reference method
From your samples to a routine method
Send or bring representative samples. MSY Consulting runs feasibility measurements, plans the calibration and the chemical screening with you, and trains your team until the method is part of your routine.
Let's talk about your application
Send an email describing your instrument and your application, and you will get a reply.
contact@msyconsulting.euMSY CONSULTING SAS · Wissembourg, France · LinkedIn