Heater Treater

Proper level control is the key to ensuring heater treater operation, good separation efficiency, and accurate measurements. Emerson’s level transmitters, actuators and valves eliminate gas blow-by and maintain adequate level and outflow control while reducing allocation measurement errors and preventing spills due to treater overfill. The result is reduced processing costs, losses and environmental hazards related to gas and liquid contamination.

A steady pressure set point is needed for proper treater performance. If pressure is too high, gas entrained in oil will vent from the tank, resulting in higher emissions and product loss. If pressure is too low, valuable intermediates are lost. Emerson’s backpressure regulators, control valves, and pressure transmitters ensure accurate pressure over wider flow range for improved separation efficiency, prevent entrained gas in oil, and avoid increased well backpressure and loss of intermediates.

Treater gas is sometimes a custody transfer measurement, or gas simply goes to flare. Emerson’s devices accurately measure the amount of gas coming off the heater treater while providing high turndown for varying production rates and advanced diagnostics that detect treater upsets such as wet gas. Reliable and accurate backpressure control allows for stable, internal pressure, which prevents the loss of valuable intermediates.

Accurate oil production measurement provides insight into well performance and often times can be used for allocation of royalties. Precise level control and flow meters that require minimal maintenance enable accurate measurement. Flow meter diagnostics can be used to detect gas carry-under and water-in-oil contamination allowing for improved control and verification of heater treater performance.

Water measurements indicate where the reservoir is located along the production decline curve, water breakthrough, and how often water tanks need to be emptied. In some oil fields, water production must be reported for regulatory reasons. Emerson’s flow meters accurately measure water production with precise level control and diagnostics that detect gas carry-under as well as oil-in-water contamination – verifying heater treater performance while requiring low maintenance.

Safety concerns and tighter regulations are hastening a move toward automated control of burners in well pads. It is essential for the safety of the burner and downstream equipment that the pressure of fuel gas entering the burner is controlled appropriately. Pressure regulators increase heater treater efficiency and reduce fuel usage and costs by helping maintain the flame intensity that controls the operating temperature of the treater in order to ensure crude quality and safe transport.