WILSA Cuts Operating Expenses at Oklahoma Disposal Well
WILSA® technology improves efficiency of separation equipment and significantly reduces chemical costs and daily operating expenses
Date: November 2017
Industry: Oil & Gas Production
Application: Salt Water Disposal
Success Factors:
- Reduce chemical usage
- Slow formation of semi-solid emulsion “pad” layers in water tanks
- Cleaner water for disposal
- Reduce pumping pressure into disposal well
WILSA® EWC Results:
- Emulsion-breaking chemicals completely eliminated
- Total chemical costs reduced by approximately 80%
- Improved efficiency of oil/water separation (61.3% increase in skim oil)
- Reduced emulsion pad layer ~90% so oil now flows freely from Gunbarrel Tank to Oil Tank with reduced pad and oil buildup in all Water Tanks
- Cleaner water discharged from oil/water separator
- Cleaner water having a lower viscosity is now injected into the disposal well at a lower pumping pressure (<11%)
An Oklahoma disposal well operator was experiencing severe emulsion and BS&W problems with oilfield production fluids it was collecting.
The high variability of fluid sources (including produced water and flowback) accumulated from a 40-mile radius made it difficult for the operator to cost-effectively separate oil from water with the use of chemicals & gravity separation.
One operating issue was the formation of 1-2 ft. layers of highly viscous emulsion “pads” of oil, solids and water in the gunbarrel separator and water tanks. Further, water directed to the disposal well carried suspended solids coated with oil.
The operator injected an emulsion breaker and surfactant upstream of the gunbarrel separator in an effort to enhance oil/water separation and limit the formation / growth of the emulsion pads.
In spite of heavy chemical usage, the pads of emulsified oil, water, solids and chemicals required extensive daily maintenance and recurring expenditures for cleaning, removal & offsite disposal.
In an effort to improve the efficiency of oil/water separation, generate cleaner water for disposal and significantly reduce chemical usage, the operator installed a WILSA® EWC directly upstream of his gunbarrel separator.
As a result of WILSA® Conditioning, emulsion breaking chemicals were completely eliminated and total chemical costs were reduced by 80%. The 1-2 ft. pads were reduced to low-viscosity emulsion layers that could easily be arrested. WILSA® Conditioning improved the efficiency of oil recovery, resulting in cleaner water being directed to the disposal well, and water pumped into the disposal well is injected at a lower at a lower pumping pressure (<11%).
