Desalting and dewatering of crude oil prior to distillation is a key process where undesirable components in the crude oil are removed before reaching major unit operations. Operation of a desalting system can be very challenging due to numerous changing process variables. Using VSEP, the effect of process
variations and operator errors are minimized.

”The job of the desalter operator is a critical one—one mistake or process upset can overwhelm onsite wastewater treatment facilities and lead a total plant shutdown,” says Chief Operating Officer, Greg Johnson. “With VSEP, the impact of a process variation upstream is minimal. Our testing indicates that even during extreme process upsets the VSEP filtrate remains constant.”

The desalter can be a rate limiting process and may dictate the types of crude oil a refinery can process. By removing the bottleneck at the desalter, installation of a VSEP system allows lesser grades of crude to be processed without the normal associated risk of process upsets in the desalter. This directly translates into higher profits for the refinery.

Greg Johnson further states that “the VSEP can eliminate the typical bottleneck that exists in the desalting process. Payback on the VSEP system will be measured in days, not years. Furthermore, the amount of chemicals needed to keep the desalter performing properly will go down dramatically, resulting in additional savings.”

The VSEP Desalter Effluent Membrane Filtration System is available now. A comprehensive case study on the system is available for download from the New Logic Web site at:

http://www.vsep.com/pdf/DesalterCaseStudy.pdf.

About New Logic Research, Inc.

Headquartered in Emeryville, California, New Logic Research is the leading provider of high-performance membrane filtration systems used in a wide variety of applications from pure water and wastewater treatment to chemical process clarifications. Founded in 1986, New Logic has grown to meet the needs of its ever-expanding customer base, which includes major corporations from around the World. Today, New Logic provides a breadth of products and services for pure water and wastewater treatment, industrial and chemical processing, power, pulp and paper, oil and gas production and processing, paint and pigments and electronics industries.