Revolutionizing Water-Handling in the Petroleum Industry: Saudi Aramco’s Hybrid Flotation Technology Success Story

Petroleum production facilities are facing mounting challenges with the rising water-production rates in crude-oil extraction, particularly in waterflooding operations for secondary oil recovery. This has led to increased operational costs and environmental concerns related to energy consumption and carbon emissions in water-handling processes. In response to these challenges, Saudi Aramco embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to improve water-deoiling efficiency by incorporating hybrid flotation technology into a conventional gravity WOSEP system.

The retrofit involved combining enhanced gravity separation with induced gas flotation (IGF) in a single vessel, resulting in significant enhancements in deoiling capacity, reduction in oil-in-water content, and improved operational efficiency. The design of the upgrade process began with evaluating the existing WOSEP system and identifying operational challenges that needed to be addressed.

Saudi Aramco’s case study provides valuable guidance for similar initiatives in the petroleum industry. The integration of hybrid flotation systems offers a cost-effective solution for improving deoiling efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The project was successful in achieving its objectives, resulting in reduced operational costs and carbon emissions.

This case study offers a detailed analysis of the design, implementation, and outcomes of this innovative project, providing valuable insights for the wider petroleum industry. By incorporating hybrid flotation technology into their existing systems, petroleum production facilities can overcome the challenges posed by rising water-production rates and improve their profitability while minimizing their environmental impact.