Course Objectives:

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Fundamentals of Oil Dehydration and Desalting

• Understand the purpose of crude oil dehydration and desalting in refining and production.
• Identify the key contaminants in crude oil, including water, salts, and suspended solids.
• Learn the impact of water and salts on downstream processing, corrosion, and equipment fouling.

2. Basics of Oil Dehydration Process

• Explain the different methods of oil dehydration:
• Gravity Separation (Retention time, settling).
• Chemical Demulsification (Use of demulsifiers to break water-in-oil emulsions).
• Electrostatic Coalescence (Electrostatic desalters and dehydrators).
• Understand the role of temperature, residence time, and mixing in dehydration efficiency.

3. Basics of Crude Oil Desalting Process

• Explain the purpose of desalting and its role in removing inorganic salts from crude oil.
• Understand the key components of a desalting system, including:
• Mixing and Injection Systems (Water injection for dilution).
• Electrostatic Separators (Breaking emulsions and removing salts).
• Wash Water and Brine Handling.
• Identify operational parameters affecting desalting efficiency (temperature, wash water ratio, mixing energy).

4. Equipment and System Design Considerations

• Learn about key equipment used in dehydration and desalting, including:
• Free water knock-out drums.
• Electrostatic dehydrators.
• Desalting vessels.
• Heat exchangers and coalescers.
• Understand basic design principles for sizing equipment and optimizing performance.

5. Safety, Environmental Considerations, and Best Practices

• Recognize hazards associated with crude oil dehydration and desalting, including electrical hazards, H₂S exposure, and scaling.
• Learn about best practices for reducing oil losses, optimizing chemical usage, and managing wastewater.
• Understand environmental regulations related to produced water discharge and salt removal.

6. Basic Troubleshooting and Process Optimization

• Identify common operational challenges, such as poor emulsion breaking, high water content, and high salt levels.
• Learn troubleshooting techniques for improving dehydration and desalting efficiency.
• Understand the impact of crude oil variability on process performance.

Target Audience

This course is designed for entry-level professionals and operators involved in crude oil processing, including:

1. Engineers & Technical Personnel

• Process Engineers
• Chemical Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers

2. Operations & Maintenance Teams

• Oil Dehydration and Desalting Operators
• Maintenance Technicians
• Field Operators