Patent ID: 6849175

Claim:
A method of removing water and solids from a crude oil containing water and solids, comprising: a dehydration phase and a separation phase, said dehydration phase including: providing a source of crude oil containing water; providing a dehydrator for dehydrating said crude oil, said dehydrator having an inlet and an outlet and a vaporizing surface of dry crude oil at a temperature sufficient to vaporize water contacting said surface; contacting said source with said dry crude oil to flash water from said source to thereby remove said water from said source; said separation phase including: isolating within said dehydrator, solids present in dehydrated crude from said dehydrated crude; re-circulating said dehydrated crude oil for contact immediately below said vaporizing surface; and re-circulating said dehydrated crude oil for mixing with said source of crude oil, whereby said vaporizing surface is selectively heated to return heat energy lost from flash evaporating water from said source.