How to handle crude oil with water entering the primary distillation tower?

It depends on how much water is involved. There is very little water involved, so it generally has no significant impact; however, it increases energy consumption, as the heat capacity of water is much higher than that of oil. If there is too much water, it is an operational accident that could cause the tower to be flooded.

When the water carryover is low, the impact is minimal; the main issue is energy consumption. If the water carryover is high, tower flooding accidents can occur. In such cases, it is necessary to reduce the processing capacity and increase the temperature at the top of the tower to prevent the pump at the bottom of the tower from running dry

First, reduce the processing capacity and increase the top temperature of the tower

Appropriately increase the top temperature of the tower; reduce the feed rate and processing volume as appropriate; intensify water separation and tank switching operations in the storage area

1. Reduce volume to maintain stable equipment operation. 2. Dehydration, which includes dehydration in crude oil tanks and electrodesalination dehydration. Crude oil dehydration simply means discharging it from the crude oil tank – stop when oil is seen. In electrodialysis, it is important to control parameters such as liquid level, mixing pressure drop, and the amount of demulsifier used.

Reduce the water injection into the electrodialysis system, enhance electrodialysis dehydration, stabilize the pressure in the initial distillation tower, and prevent overpressure in the tower

Reduce water injection slightly when it’s high, and lower the volume when it’s excessive, to ensure the pump doesn’t run dry

It turned out to be a bit late by the time it was brought to the initial distillation tower; slight water content could already be detected in the electrodeionization system. With the drainage volume remaining unchanged, an increase in the liquid level allowed for reduced water injection before distillation and during electrodeionization, while efforts were made to increase the drainage volume. At the same time, coordination with the dispatch team and the tank farm was sought to use crude oil with lower water content. If it has already affected the initial distillation tower: 1. Reduce the processing capacity ； 2. Pay attention to the quality of the oil; promptly replace tanks that do not meet the standards, and pay attention to the oil-water level in the tower top reflux tank ； 3. Add air cooling; if the gas at the top of the tower is used as fuel gas, adjust the flare line promptly ； 4. Reduce the amount of steam used for stripping at the bottom of the tower or shut it off temporarily ； 5. In cases of excessive water content, considering an emergency shutdown of the crude oil pump is advisable. In short, the earlier it is detected, the better it can be dealt with

Stop the electrodialysis water injection immediately; everyone has gone to the primary distillation tower, which indicates that there is too much water present