A well-designed desalter treatment provides many benefits that often result in improved refinery reliability and profitability.  Typical issues include removing impurities such as inorganic salts of sodium, calcium, magnesium, metals such as calcium and iron, tramp amines, sand, silt and water,

Desalter Treatment challenges:

  • Heavy Crude processing leading to poor emulsion resolution
  • Higher Amines/Ammonia content in wash water causing emulsion and increased salt deposition in unit overheads
  • Increased water recycle causing cycling up of amines/ammonia
  • Presence of trap amines in crude oil due to excessive usage in oil exploration, leading to emulsion in desalter & fouling in downstream unit.
  • Crude Metals Content – Organic Calcium (Calcium Naphthenate), Calcium Carbonate, Iron Naphthenate and Iron Sulfide
  • High Solids (Silica/FeS) causing solids-stabilized emulsion inside desalter and fouling of heat exchangers downstream of the desalters, especially in synthetic/tar sand crudes
  • Potential crude blend incompatibility causing desalter emulsion issues
  • Water/Solids Slugs causing frequent upsets that shut down the power grids due to excessive grid amperage
  • Fouling of the Desalter Brine circuit due to incremental solids
  • High H2S levels in the brine  

 How We Help.

  • Reduce corrosion and fouling problems in the downstream processes
  • Reduce catalyst poisoning in FCCU and other catalytic processes
  • Improve waste water quality resulting in improved plant effluent quality
  • Improve energy efficiency due to a reduction of water and solids present in the crude
  • Increase profit margin due to improved processing of opportunity crudes


Delivering profitable, reliable results.
Find out how we can help you succeed within your industry.
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