Experimental study on reducing the base sediment and water in crude oil separation

Abstract

Crude oil demulsification is an ongoing industrial challenge due to the persistent stability of water-in-oil emulsions and limited performance of conventional demulsifiers. This study introduces Formulation A, a novel demulsifier blend uniquely integrating both water- and oil-soluble components, optimized through a rigorous computational-experimental approach using Qualitec 4 software and validated experimentally under controlled laboratory conditions. Unlike previous methods that relied on trial-and-error or single-component formulations, this systematic optimization represents the study’s primary innovation, ensuring reproducible and significantly enhanced demulsification efficiency. Using a bottle-test methodology, Formulation A comprising triethanolamine, fatty alcohol ethoxylate, Basorol PDB 9935, Basorol E2032, aromatic solvent, and TOMAC achieved a remarkable 93 % water separation efficiency, substantially surpassing conventional commercial demulsifiers (63–71 %). The study rigorously identified optimal conditions (10 ppm concentration, pH 5.5, 70 °C) through an integrated computational (Qualitec 4 software) and experimental validation approach. Although conducted under controlled laboratory conditions focusing on water-in-oil emulsions, the significant improvement in separation efficiency demonstrates clear industrial applicability. Future research should extend these findings to evaluate environmental impacts, scalability, and economic feasibility under real-world field conditions.