Oil exists in produced water as free, dispersed and dissolved fractions, each governed by different physics and removed by different processes. Quantifying the droplet-size distribution is the starting point for any deoiling design.
Deoiling, softening and polishing of produced water for discharge, reuse or reinjection.
Flotation for removal of dispersed oil and fine solids from oilfield water.
Primary gravity and plate separation of free oil and solids ahead of polishing.
Free oil (>150 micron) rises readily; dispersed oil (2–150 micron) needs enhanced separation; dissolved hydrocarbons require adsorption or biological polishing.
Pumps, chokes and valves shear oil into ever-finer droplets. The d50 of the distribution, not the total concentration, dictates which technology can remove it.
Rise velocity scales with the square of droplet diameter and the density difference, so coalescing larger droplets before separation is the most effective lever.
Natural surfactants, asphaltenes and production chemicals stabilise oil-water emulsions that resist gravity separation.
Every pressure drop downstream of the wellhead reduces droplet size; minimising shear preserves separability.
Fine solids partition to the oil-water interface, stabilising emulsions and complicating both deoiling and solids handling.
Plate packs and coalescing media enlarge droplets so that gravity and flotation can capture them.
Induced or dissolved gas flotation lifts the dispersed fraction the separators leave behind.
Adsorption media and biological steps address the dissolved hydrocarbons beyond physical separation.
Reynolds & Bauhm delivers this scope as part of an integrated, single-point engagement matched to your project, programme and regulatory regime.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.