COURSE OVERVIEW:

This advanced course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to monitor, operate, and troubleshoot oil desalting systems throughout startup, normal operation, and shutdown. Participants will review crude oil impurities and their effects, emulsion formation and breaking, and the fundamentals of dehydration plants, wash tanks, and heater treaters.

The course then focuses on electrostatic heater treaters and electrostatic desalters, including operating principles, performance indicators, and troubleshooting methods. Special emphasis is placed on interpreting the logic related to oil desalting and oil receiving systems, conducting startup and shutdown activities in line with standard operating procedures, and taking appropriate corrective actions to keep the plant safe and within specification.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

After completion of this course, the participants will be able to:

1. Describe crude oil impurities and explain their effects on equipment integrity, corrosion, and downstream refining processes.
2. Define emulsions and explain basic emulsion terminology used in oil dehydration and desalting operations.
3. Identify emulsifying agents and demulsifiers and describe the main types of emulsions, including oil in water and water in oil emulsions and stable emulsions.
4. Explain the factors affecting emulsion breakdown and how temperature, residence time, mixing, and chemicals influence demulsification.
5. Describe oil emulsion treatment technologies and the main equipment used, including separators, wash tanks, and heater treaters.
6. Explain the fundamentals of dehydration plants, wash tanks, and heater treaters and how they interact with desalting systems.
7. Describe the principles and operation of electrostatic heater treaters and outline typical operating practices and troubleshooting approaches.
8. Understand oil desalter operation, including process variables, controls, and performance indicators, and apply structured troubleshooting techniques.
9. Explain heater treater operation, main types, and typical troubleshooting steps, including familiarity with AFPC heater treater and AFPC desalting facilities at a conceptual level.
10. Describe electrostatic desalter operation, key performance parameters, and troubleshooting methods for common operating problems.
11. Monitor oil desalting systems and conduct startup and shutdown activities as per standard operating procedures while maintaining safe and stable operation.
12. Take necessary corrective actions for operational problems and interpret the logics related to oil desalting and oil receiving system operation, including trips, interlocks, and permissives.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

-Operation engineers responsible for crude oil treatment, dehydration, and desalting

-Panel and field operators working on oil receiving, separation, and desalting systems

-Production and process technicians supporting dehydration and desalting facilities

-Senior operators and shift supervisors involved in startup, shutdown, and upset handling

-Junior process engineers and technical staff who require an advanced understanding of oil desalting system operation and troubleshooting

TRAINING COURSE METHODOLOGY:

A highly interactive combination of lectures and discussion sessions, as well as case studies, will be managed to maximize the amount and quality of information, knowledge, and experience transfer. The course will be intensive but practical and highly interactive. The sessions will start by raising the most relevant questions and motivating everybody to find the right answers. The attendants will also be encouraged to raise more of their questions and to share in developing the right answers using their analysis and experience. There will also be some indoor experiential activities to enhance learning. Course material will be provided in PowerPoint, with necessary animations, learning videos, and general discussions.

The course participants shall be evaluated before, during, and after the course.

COURSE CERTIFICATE:

National Consultant Centre for Training LLC (NCC) will issue an Attendance Certificate to all participants completing a minimum of 80% of the total attendance time requirement.