publishing for over 25 YEARS
PIN
PETROCHEMICAL, CHEMICAL & ENERGY INDUSTRY NEWS
WHITEPAPER
REFINING THE FUTURE HOW SMARTER DESALTER OPERATIONS DRIVE EFFICIENCIES AND SUSTAINABILITY?
“If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” This insight from Lord Kelvin highlights a fundamental principle of industrial processes, especially in refining: accurate measurement is the cornerstone of any improvement. H. James Harrington expanded on this idea, stating, “Measurement is the first step that leads to control and, ultimately, to improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it. And if you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.” Together, these perspectives emphasize that without precise measurement, efforts to refine and enhance processes remain fundamentally limited.
As the global energy landscape shifts towards greener alternatives and a hydrogen-based economy, the refining industry faces increasing pressure to improve efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint. Optimizing desalter operations is central to these goals. Effective management of this critical process can significantly boost refinery efficiency, lower energy consumption, and advance sustainability efforts (Bain et al., 2019). Among all industrial processes, refineries top the list as the most energy-intensive of them all. In fact, in a typical 150,000 BPD refinery, 663 MW of energy is generally required, out of which approximately 217 MW is consumed by a crude distillation unit, accounting for more than one-third. The main purpose of this energy is heating crude oil to the 350°C to 400°C temperatures required for the separation of crude into its constituent fractions (Figure 1).
This is an enormously energy-intensive process, and inefficiencies, such as fouling in furnace tubes and heat exchangers, can lead to significant energy losses. Fouling reduces heat transfer efficiency, requiring more fuel to maintain essential process temperatures, which in turn raises operational costs and expands the refinery‘s carbon footprint. Addressing these waste sources is essential for refineries aiming to improve energy efficiency and enhance sustainability.
The desalter, one of the initial processing units in a refinery, plays a critical role in preparing crude oil for further processing.
Process Atm. Distillation
Vaccum Distillation Visbreaking
Delayed Coking FCC
Hydrocracking Hydrotreating Reforming Alkylation Ethers
Isomerization Lube Oil TOTAL
Consumption (MW) 217.3 100.6 0.9
23.5 73.1 18.3
150.5 50.6 15.5 2.5 7.3 2.8
662.9
Procent (%) 33% 15 % 0 % 4 %
11 % 3 %
23 % 8 % 2 % 0 % 1 % 0 %
100 % Figure 1: Based on capacity of 150,000 bpd / reference EIA, USA
Its main purpose is to remove salts, minerals, and metals from crude oil before it enters this crude distillation unit. If not effectively removed, these contaminants can cause significant issues downstream, such as corrosion of equipment, fouling of heat exchangers and furnace tubes, and the deactivation of catalysts, all of which lead to increased operational costs, elevated energy consumption, and greater maintenance demands.
Desalters function through gravity separation, whereby fresh wash water is injected into the crude oil to dissolve salts and capture impurities. As the water mixes with the oil, it absorbs these contaminants, and the water droplets then coalesce and separate from the oil phase, adhering to Stokes‘ law of particle settling. For efficient desalter operation, it is essential that the water droplets have adequate residence time to settle out of the oil phase, making precise level control within the desalter vessel a key factor for optimal performance (Boughaba et al., 2020).
Optimize the desalter efficiency
Effective removal of salts, minerals, and metals in the desalter is essential to avoid major operational challenges. Salts, especially chlorides, are highly corrosive and can produce hydrochloric acid at high temperatures, leading to significant damage to refinery equipment. Such corrosion increases maintenance costs, raises the risk of unexpected equipment failures, and creates hazardous operational conditions. Furthermore, contaminants left in the crude can deposit on heat exchanger and furnace tube surfaces, forming insulating layers that hinder heat transfer efficiency and driveup fuel consumption. This not only raises operational costs but also increases greenhouse gas emissions.
Effective optimization of desalter operations translates directly into substantial cost savings by reducing catalyst poisoning in refinery processes. When contaminant metals, such as iron (Fe), are not adequately removed in the desalter, they accumulate downstream, poisoning catalysts in critical units like hydrocrackers and fluid catalytic crackers (FCCs). This contamination can necessitate costly catalyst replacements, potentially reaching $15-20 million annually for fresh catalyst alone, not accounting for additional operational costs due to reduced catalyst efficiency (Mani, V., 2024).
In addition to level control, several other factors influence desalter efficiency, including crude oil temperature, water injection volume, mix valve settings, grid voltages, and water outlet valve operation. The temperature of the crude oil is particularly important, as it affects both the viscosity of the oil-water mixture and the solubility of water in oil, both of which are critical for effective separation. The volume of water injected into the crude oil prior to the mix valve is also crucial: too little
Figure 2: Berthold´s EmulsionSENS mounted outside a desalter
water may fail to dissolve all salts, while excessive water can overwhelm the desalter, reducing efficiency (Cahill, 2019).
The mix valve is essential in atomizing water droplets within crude oil, ensuring they are sized optimally for effective separation. Proper management of grid voltages is critical to facilitate the coalescence of water droplets, while the water outlet valve must be precisely controlled to maintain the appropriate water level and maximize residence time. All these factors require careful control to ensure the desalter operates efficiently, minimizing fouling, corrosion, and energy consumption. (Mani, V. 2024).
The ability to monitor the rag layer in real-time is crucial for optimizing desalter performance. The rag layer, which is formed as an emulsion of oil, water, solids, and surfactants, presents a significant challenge to effective oil-water separation. If left unchecked, its growth can reduce the effective separation volume within the desalter, shorten residence time, and ultimately lower operational efficiency. This results in higher levels of contaminants in the desalted crude and increases the risk of fouling and corrosion in downstream equipment. Accurate measurement of the rag layer‘s thickness and position allows operators to take timely corrective actions, such as adjusting chemical treatments, demulsifier injection, or washwater, to prevent emulsion buildup. Without precise monitoring, refineries are forced to rely on estimates, which can lead to inefficiencies, increased maintenance costs, and compromised equipment reliability.
34
PIN - ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
