Emerging Technology for Produced Water

And Slop Treatment

Center Force – Hydrocyclone Experience

Wholly owned subsidiary of BAR Engineering Co. Ltd. – May 2011

Designed and installed first commercial Hydrocyclone skids:

• Husky’s Lloydminster Heavy Oil Refinery. (1999)

• Husky’s Heavy Oil Upgrader. (2000)

• Cenovus Foster Creek. (2011)

Received License to market the CANMET Hydrocyclone Technology in May 2009.

Locally fabricated and therefore able to provide Hydrocyclone packages registered with ABSA & CSA.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

How a Liquid-Liquid Hydrocyclone Works

The water and suspended solids exit at the

underflow port

The separated oil flows backwards along

the centre axis and exits via the overflow

port

The water phase, being denser, migrates to

the outer wall of the hydrocyclone while the

lighter oil phase migrates towards the centre

Feed enters tangentially directing

the fluid into a high-speed spiral

CANMET Hydrocyclone

CANMET Hydrocyclone

How the Liquid-Liquid Hydrocyclone Works

Utilizes centrifugal force to separate fluids of different densities.

Has no moving parts.

Pump pressure provides the energy for the separation.

Factors Affecting Performance

Density difference

Droplet size

Feed Composition

Flow Rate

Viscosity

Interfacial Tension

Solids

Chemical treatment

Temperature

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Hydrocyclone Advantages

Separation Performance

Design generates significant centrifugal forces. This results in more rapid separation

than conventional gravity separation (ie. FWKO’s Skim Tanks)

Principles of Separation – Stokes Law

CANMET Hydrocyclone

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2

p

t

p

Hydrocyclone Advantages

Elegant and simple in design:

Much more compact than the equipment

they replace (FWKO, skim tanks, etc.).

Residence time is typically about 2 s.

Easy to relocate and offer a much higher

salvage value.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Inside a CANMET Hydrocyclone Vessel

Simple to Operate: Absence of moving parts ensures a

minimum maintenance and down time.

Fluctuations in feed rate can be handled without large effects on efficiency.

Hydrocyclone Advantages

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Advantages and Limitations LIMITATIONS

Gas Handling – The presence of gas in the feed impairs the performance of the

hydrocyclone.

Reduced efficiency when oil droplets are smaller than 10 micrometres – Because smaller

droplets move more slowly than larger ones, separation does not occur fast enough

in the hydrocyclone when droplets are very small. This reduces separation

efficiency.

Difficulty in Handling Oil-Wet Clays – Because the fine clays are less dense than water,

and tend to be oil-wetted, they tend to stay with the oil and exit via the overflow

stream of the hydrocyclone instead of the underflow.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Features of the CANMET Hydrocyclone Design The design was developed throughout extensive research and field testing at several

Western Canadian Heavy Oil Production Facilities.

The CANMET Hydrocyclone design is specifically suited for the treating of difficult

– to – separate oily emulsions.

Unlike conventional hydrocyclones, which have only one inlet port CANMET

hydrocyclones have two, three, or four evenly spaced around the involute, producing

a more axisymmetric vortex flow and oil core.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Single inlet involute

Multiple inlet involute (CANMET Design)

Involute – This is where most of the separation occurs. The large droplets and sand

particles are separated quickly and easily in this stage.

First Taper – This is the first section where the tube becomes narrower. This causes an

increase in the g-forces and causes some of the smaller droplets to separate.

Second Taper – This is the last section of the hydrocyclone. In this section the g-forces

reach a peak. This is also the section with the longest retention time where only small

droplets remain because they take longer to separate.

CANMET Tube Design

Involute First Taper Second Taper

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Hydrocyclones are designed to produce 2 product streams: o/f and u/f.

In single-stage hydrocyclone treatment. Optimum operating conditions for obtaining the two products are different, the quality of one of the two products must be compromised.

In order to produce 2 quality products at the same time, 2-stage hydrocyclone treatment is required.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Typical Single Stage Vessel with Variable Orifice

Pressure Differential Ratio (PDR)

PDR is the difference between the pressure of the feed and oil outlet over

the pressure difference between the feed and water outlet:

)(

)(

/

/

FUFEED

FOFEED

PP

PPPDR

CANMET Hydrocyclone Operational Control

Orifice Size

The overflow orifice size determines

the size of the core that exits via the

overflow outlet. A smaller orifice size

increases overflow oil concentration

at the expense of underflow water

quality. A larger orifice size allows for

a cleaner underflow stream, while

decreasing overflow oil

concentration, since more water

exits with that stream.

Operational Control

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Applications

Refinery Desalter – Water Effluent

Produced Water Treatment (Deoiling)

Slop Oil Conditioning – Bench & Field Tests

CANMET Hydrocyclone

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Applications - Treatment of Desalter Effluent

Objective:

To produce a stream of clean water from desalter effluent.

Issue:

Long retention time required to separate oil and solids from water phase due to

similar densities.

Integration for Treating Desalter Effluents

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Treatment of Desalter Effluents - Normal Operation

At the Husky Lloydminster Refinery the CANMET hydrocyclone is run under two conditions, normal and desanding.

Under normal conditions the oil content is in the ppm levels.

Oil concentrations:

Feed ~3000 ppm

Overflow ~4%

Underflow <1000 ppm

Solids concentrations:

Feed ~1%

Overflow - traces

Underflow ~2%

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Treatment of Desalter Effluents - Desanding Operation

Under desanding operation, feed stream contains approximately 5% oil and solids content is about 4%. Like emulsions, it does not settle quickly.

Oil concentrations:

Feed ~5%

Overflow ~40%

Underflow <traces

Solids concentrations:

Feed ~4%

Overflow - traces

Underflow ~4%

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Desalter effluent was separated into:

a clean water stream containing low ppm levels of oil, suitable for disposal or

reuse.

a concentrated oil stream

Solids in the water (underflow) stream separated more quickly in skim tanks

because their oil coatings were reduced.

Treatment of Desalter Effluents - Summary

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Applications – Produced Water Treatment Deoiling

Objective:

To reduce the oil concentration from 500-3000 ppm to 100 ppm.

Separation challenges:

Small Difference in oil and water densities.

Oil Droplets are very small (~10 µm).

CANMET Hydrocyclone

CANMET Hydrocyclone Applications – Produced Water Treatment Typical – Process Flow Sheet

-Testing at a Heavy Oil Operation

CM LA CM LA CM LA CM LA CM LA

PW-1 400 736.0 50 35.1 >1400 9000 <50 27.9 150 135.0

PW-2 >2000 833.0 350 71.6 >2000 - 100 35.8 >1400 -

PW-3 >2000 9000.0 350 210.0 >2000 13200 100 190 >1400 -

PW-4 600 789.0 50 44.3 >2000 - <50 17.3 200 -

PW-5 500 455.0 50 33.4 >2000 289 <50 20.2 200 -

PW-6 400 365.0 <50 69.8 >2000 - <50 39.3 100 -

PW-7 600 472.0 50 112.0 >2000 - <50 43.5 200 -

PW-8 1200 1900.0 100 528.0 >2000 104000 50 98.8 200 331.0

PW-9 700 1900.0 100 354.0 >2000 - <50 109 250 -

PW-10 1200 709.0 100 487.0 >2000 - 50 109.0 300 -

PW-11 >2000 1259.0 250 331.0 >2000 30200 100 37.2 >2000 465.0

PW-12 >2000 980.0 400 73.0 >2000 4700 100 35.2 1400 943.0

PW-13 >2000 2690.0 300 30.0 >2000 - 50 37.2 250 -

PW-14 100 - <50 26.0 >2000 - <50 32 250 -

AVERAGE 1700.0 171.8 59.4

Sample I.D.

LA = Lab Analysis by Agra.

U/F2 O/F2Feed U/F1 O/F1

- = No sample sent to laboratory

Oil Content (ppm)

CM= Onsite Colour Match.

Produced Water Treatment Results

CANMET Hydrocyclone

A slipstream of produced water (before skim tank) with an average

inlet oil concentration of 1700 ppm

The typical inlet flow rate is around 40 L/min (57 m3/d), and the outlet

water flow rate (underflow from stage two) is around 25 L/min

(36 m3/d).

It was found that the first stage produced an underflow stream

containing an average oil concentration of 172 ppm and the underflow

from stage two contained less than 60 ppm oil

Summary of Produced Water Treatment Results

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Objective:

To obtain a treatable crude oil from a stream of slop oil generated from skim

tanks and/or treaters.

Separation challenges:

Small differences in oil and water densities

High viscosity of oil reduces settling rate.

Applications - Slop Oil Treatment – Bench Test

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Applications – Slop Oil Treatment

Processing Scheme for Slop Oil Treatment

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Micrograph of a conditioned slop oil sample Micrograph of an unconditioned slop oil sample

Slop Oil Treatment

Conditioning of Slop Oil

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Treatment of Slop Oil with Conditioning of Feed

Temp Oil Content

(vol%)

Flow rate

(L/min in)

Oil

Recovery

Separation

Efficiency

Slop Oil

Test #

(ºC) Feed U/F O/F QF QU (%) (%)

SOT-1 88 15 0.15 65 21.5 18 99.2 58.8

SOT-2 90 5 0.03 53 26. 24 99.4 50.5

SOT-3 88 5 0.20 43 30 27 96.4 40.0

SOT-4 83 13 2 74 31 28 86.1 70.1

SOT-5 85 18 6 64 33 31 68.7 56.1

SOT-6 87 19 8 74 28 25 62.4 67.9

SOT-7 89 12 10 68 30 27 25.0 63.6

SOT-8 81 12 6 60 34 29 57.4 54.5

SOT-9 85 18 8 60 36 30 63.0 51.2

SOT-10 91 10 1 74 31 27 91.3 71.1

SOT-11 88 12 10 68 34 29 28.9 63.6

SOT-12 88 14 8 76 31 26 52.1 72.1

SOT-13 84 8 4 66 33 30 54.5 63.0

SOT-14 84 9 4 70 36 32 60.5 67.0

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Feed containing ~10% oil was concentrated

to 76% oil in stage 1.

Second-stage underflow oil concentration

averaged at high ppm levels with the lowest

at 150 ppm.

Results from Slop Oil Treatment

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Slop Oil – Field Test Background:

Test completed at a Heavy Oil Treating Facility

Utilizes a pressure treating system.

Average Volume:

• 1300 m³/day of trucked-in emulsion

• 1100 m³/day of sales oil

• 200-250 m³/month of slop oil

Sources of Slop Oil

• Skim Oil from water & desand tanks

• Interface Draw from treaters.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Slop Oil – Field Test

Background Continued:

Attempts to process the slop oil in the treaters was unsuccessful.

Slop oil was trucked offsite.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Slop Oil – Field Test

Process/Test Configuration

A test unit consisting of a two stage - single Hydrocyclone tube was utilized.

Feed

• Slop oil tank

• Feed was conditioned by adding produced H²0

• Increased water cut to 80%.

Overflow

• Returned to slop oil tank or to the treating system

Underflow

• Return to water tanks

CANMET Hydrocyclone

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Applications – Slop Oil Treatment

Solids Water Emulsion Oil

Slop Oil 5.4% 19.5% 14.0% 61.1%

Feed (includes

make-up H20)

1.1% 81.9% 0.7% 16.6%

Overflow 1.0% 63.5% 0.2% 35.1%

Underflow 2.0% 97.4% 0.0% 0.3%

236 m³ of slop treated

Minimal impact to treater operation.

No slop trucked offsite

Slop Oil – Field Test Summary of Results:

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Slop Oil – Field Test

Conclusion

Hydrocyclone demonstrated that it could condition the facility’s slop oil so it could

be treated on site.

Assuming a saving of $100/m³ of slop, the total saving for the test period $25.6 K.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Center Force Test Skid

Capacity – Two Stage – 50 m3/d, Single Stage – 100 m3/d

5 HP Progressive Cavity Pump – TEXP

Design Pressure & Temperature: 1170 kPag @ 93 oC

Ability to tie into piping system with high pressure hoses.

CANMET Hydrocyclone

Questions?