The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1926-10-14
ELECTRIC DEHYDRATIOM CAN
SAVE OPERATORS MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN kEvIN- -SUNBURST

Exensive Steaming Process Can Be
Discarded if Power Lines Are
Extended to Field-Dehy-
dration Is Described
If Kevn-Sunburst operators succeed
in interesting the Montana Power
company in extending its power
lines from Conrad into kevin-Sun-
burst field, an annual saving of
hundreds of thousands of dollars
can be- effected by electrical deyh-
dration which will replace the ex-
pensive steam-heated eunbarreIs
now in use.
Electrical deyhdration is simple
process. The oil is charged with ell
ectricity as it passes through a unit
The water and basic sediment be-
comes heavier than the oil and i'm
mediateIy settles to the bottom. The
gravity OIL Tic OlA 10 Ao1SOu "AAU 'AAO
cost of dehydration, as against steam
ing or the use of chemicals, is cut in
half.
Lowers Handling Expense
When the production from any well
or field shows higher percentage
of emulsion than pipe line require
ments, it is advisable for the pro-
ducer to treat his own crude rather
than to sell it in the "wet" or emul-
sified condition, for he can turn into
profits the losses otherwise sustain
ed. and accomplish this at the mini
mum expense by the electrical de-
hydration process. Pumping wet oil
through a pipe line is expensive,
while it's presence at the refineries
greatly impairs the efficiency of mod
ern stills, and the mineral salts left
behind form an incrustation in the
tubes. When one of the big Califor-
mia companies adopted electrical de-
hydration prior to the refining proc
ess in 1920, they more than doubled
their efining capacity and greatly
reduced maintenance charges on re-
finery equipment They also smut
down a large pump station, and re-
duced by so per cent the pipe line
pressure formerly required in pump
ing un-dehydrated crude distance
of 80 miles
Emulsion Yields Oil
The use of electric dehydrators IN
treating crude petroleum recovers all
the oil from the emulsion, while re-
storing the entire production to It's
original gravity. Referring to a con-
crete case 1000 barrels OF crude oil
of 25 degrees Be- gravity testing 30
ner cent emulsion, subjected to treat
ment. yielded an additional 100 bar
rels of net oil from the emulsion, and
the entire dehydrated production
brought the price posted for 81 de-
erees gravity crude instead of the
price posted for 25 degree gravity
crude as would have been the case II
the production had been sold wet"
It would also have been subject tol
deduction for the emulsion content.
1t is interesting to note that the cost
of purchased electricity necessary to
treat 1000 barrels Of crude was ap-
proximately 80 cents. The tremend-
GUS gain through the use of the cleo
trical process is readily apparent.
Winter Requirements
In KevinISunburst field the Him
ois Pipe Line company will not ac-
cept oil showing more than one per
cent of basic sediment or water The
operators must maintain expensive |
steam coils in their gun barrels to
take out the water and sediment and
many of them actually boil the gas
oline content out of much of the oil
through over heating. The gravity |
basis of buying has not yet been es-
tablished in this field but the time
is near at hand when 38 gravity oil
will command premium over 32I
gravity oil-the common grades in
this field At that time, more atten-
ton must be paid to the methods of
treatmen. The electrical dehydrat-
ing process is by far the most sue
cessful as well as the most efficient
and economical. 1t not only removes
the water but is process of deem
justification and recovery. 1t is we'll
to note that large percentage of
emulsions will not yield to heat be-
low the boiling point, even when ap-
piled for an extended time; though it
yields readily to the electrical proc
ess. The high temperature topping"
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