Overview of demulsification techniques in the petroleum industry

One of the obvious indicators that have prompted oilfield researchers to look into realistic demulsification techniques for many years is the challenges related to the transportation and refining of crude oil emulsions as well as generated water discharge constraints. An unusually enormous amount of water is required to be frequently drained to refine crude oil. High turbulence at the production pump station and surface-active components that are naturally present in crude oil are the two reasons why water-in-crude-oil emulsions are frequently formed when crude oil is combined with water. For these emulsions to adhere to production and transportation requirements, demulsification is necessary to get rid of the scattered water and related inorganic salts. Furthermore, the demulsification of these crude oil emulsions reduces corrosion and catalyst poisoning as well as boosts the overall profitability of crude oil production. The challenges of transporting and refining crude oil emulsions as well as the limitations on generated water discharge have recently drawn increasing scientific attention. The most recent research on demulsification techniques is, therefore, reviewed in this publication. First, an overview of demulsification and its mechanism is presented. Finally, various demulsification techniques are thoroughly examined, along with their benefits and drawbacks. It is important to remember that the effectiveness of each of these approaches depends on the operational parameters and how they interact. However, by merging one or more of these methods, it may be possible to achieve a more robust demulsification method by taking leverage of synergistic effects. To work on the development of sustainable demulsifiers from diverse sources, the results of this study can aid for a better knowledge of the formation and mechanisms of the numerous demulsification techniques of crude oil.