Paper: Wash Tank Design And Application For Emulsion Treating

The use of wash tanks for emulsion treating has been employed in the oil field for many years, even though direct fired vessels have been the most popular treating device in recent times. With the present concern for energy conservation, and with the ever-increasing value of residue gas, cold treating of emulsion with a wash tank may be the most attractive method in many applications. Regular production stock tanks have been adequately utilized as wash tanks in "stripper" operations where the quantity of emulsion and producing GOR is small. In these simplified installations, the produced fluid is piped directly to the tank, and oil is spilled through an equalizing line to another stock tank. A water leg may be used to control the water wash level or, if water production is minimal, the water may be simply contained in the tank and trucked as necessary. This type installation may suffice in marginal operations; however, where larger volumes of emulsion are to be handled, significantly more design and installation work is necessary to provide an efficient treating device at the least possible installation cost.