The innovative and robust GEA Crude Oil Treatment System meets the stringent requirements of the oil industry in relation to both product quality and environment. It can process crude oils with low API grade and high water/salt content efficiently while minimizing the consumption of chemicals, which leads to considerable savings in operating costs.
What is a crude oil centrifuge used for?
A crude oil centrifuge is an industrial separation system that removes water, salts, and solids from crude oil using high centrifugal forces (5,000–7,500 g). It is primarily used in upstream and downstream oil processing to improve crude oil quality, reduce BS&W (basic sediment and water) content, and meet pipeline or refinery specifications.
Applications
- Dehydration of crude oil: Heavy crude oil, off-spec (opportunity) crude oil
- Desalting of crude oil: Heavy crude oil, off-spec (opportunity) crude oil
Extra heavy crude oil: stable treatment of high-viscosity, salt-charged feeds
As the industry increasingly turns to extra heavy crude oil and heavy crude oil, conventional dehydration and desalting methods can reach technical and economic limits. These crudes often show high viscosity and density, lower density difference to water, elevated asphaltene content, and may contain higher acid and sulfur levels as well as increasing amounts of impurities. Such properties can intensify stable emulsions, raise energy demand, and accelerate downstream risks if contaminants and salts are not removed efficiently.
GEA centrifugal treatment provides a robust alternative because separation performance is not dependent on oil conductivity in the way electrostatic systems can be. High g-forces support mechanical emulsion breaking and enable efficient removal of water, salts and solids – even under challenging conditions. Depending on the objective, a 1- or 2-stage setup (dehydration and/or desalting) can be designed to bring extra heavy crude oil qualities (down to approx. 12° API) to a condition suitable for further processing.
Your benefits at a glance
High g-forces of 5,000 to 7,500
Simultaneous separation of water and solids: Efficiency of water and salt removal: 90-99% Efficiency of solids removal: > 99% Mechanical emulsion breaking capability Allowing lower separation temperatures Reduced use of chemicals
365 / 24 availability
Back-up capacity with multiple separation units in operation Continuous operation with an uptime of > 98.5%, depending on the service level agreement
Continuous reliability
Installed base of 1000s of machines running Average operating time of 20 years Reliable erosion protection High-grade material against corrosionWhat are the required feed conditions and operating range?
- Extremely flexible and compact modular design
- Can be used as stand-alone system or as expansion of the existing installation to compensate for bottlenecks or increase the performance
- Flexible turndown capacity (20 to 100 %)
- Automatic response on changing feed conditions
- No dependency on low or stable oil conductivity
- Adaptation to NACE and sour crude oil possible
- Compliance with regulations for hazardous areas (zone 1 and zone 2)
How can the system be integrated into existing plans?
- Installation as upstream dehydration stage
- Parallel side stream installation to the existing process
- Stand-alone installation as replacement for the conventional solution on site
- Installation as intermediate system from tank to tank for further processing in refineries
Where the GEA Crude Oil Treatment System fits into your process
Thanks to its modular design, the GEA Crude Oil Treatment System can be deployed as a stand-alone package or integrated into existing upstream and downstream facilities to stabilize performance, improve product quality, and expand capacity with minimal footprint. Typical configurations include: upstream installation to reduce water cut before an electrostatic stage, parallel side-stream operation to relieve bottlenecks and maintain specifications under fluctuating feed quality, and tank-to-tank treatment in refineries to upgrade contaminated or off-spec crude before it enters the main process. This flexibility enables reliable processing even when crude properties change over time—without forcing a full replacement of established separation equipment.
Get an idea of how you can solve your crude oil challenge with just a few clicks. Our GEA Online Calculator suggests a suitable machine or process solution for dehydration and/or desalting based on your process conditions. Enter a few parameters and contact our experts to review the results.
Available units
Due to the modular design several centrifuge units can be combined to achieve the desired performance and flow rate flexibility. The centrifuge unit can be optionally supplemented with additional units with transfer pump, heater and mixer, providing a tailor-made solution for each customer and process requirement.
Modular system – Comprehensive know-how from a single supplier
Process engineering, pilot trials and containerized field testing for reliable scale-up
Investments in crude oil treatment are long-term decisions—especially in brownfield upgrades and complex feed scenarios. To de-risk selection and sizing, GEA supports projects with process engineering services and real-condition testing. At the GEA Process Test Center (Oelde, Germany), product properties can be characterized (e.g., viscosity, separation behavior, particle sizing) and centrifuges plus peripherals can be operated close to the planned process to generate reliable design data and scale-up parameters.
When on-site validation is required, GEA offers containerized field test units to simulate the intended process at pilot scale directly at the customer’s premises. These ready-to-use systems can include feed pumps, heat exchangers, mixing and chemical dosing where needed, and are designed for operation in potentially explosive areas. The resulting test program provides confidence in separation performance, operating windows and future process control—before finalizing the production plant design.
How does centrifugal dehydration and desalting work?
Centrifugal dehydration and desalting work by exploiting density differences: high g-forces inside a rotating bowl separate crude oil (lighter) from water and solids (heavier). In dehydration, water and solids are continuously ejected through nozzles; in desalting, fresh wash water is mixed with the crude upstream, dissolving salts, which are then removed along with the water phase in the centrifuge.
GEA crude oil Dehydrator
GEA crude oil Dehydrators are nozzle-type disk stack centrifuges. They are the right choice, if the main task is to reduce the water content of the crude oil and if the solids content varies.
These centrifuges are built for high performance by incorporating the know-how of more than 50 years of successful operation in the Canadian oil sands industry into their design. Robustness, high efficiency, ease of use and predictable maintenance costs are some of the main advantages.
Operating principles and constructional features
In a nozzle centrifuge, the solids and water are continuously removed through open nozzles placed on the outer diameter of the bowl. At the same time, oil and water are continuously separated by the high g-forces and removed from the top of the bowl under pressure. By using a large number of densely packed disks, the clarification space is significantly increased compared to static separators, thus further improving the oil-water separation.
Depending on the required capacity, GEA supplies the following machine types:
- GEA crude oil Dehydrator 130
- GEA crude oil Dehydrator 260
GEA crude oil Dehydrators are available with a direct driven or with a belt driven bowl.
Features
- Single unit capacity up to 37,500 BPD (250 m3/h); can easily be extended by combining several units
- Oil gravity > 12° API
- Flexible adjustment of the separating zone for maximum separation efficiency of the liquid phases
- Special wear protection including replaceable wear liners
- All product containing parts are made from high-grade stainless steel material
- Space-saving design
- ATEX compliant for the operation in ATEX Zone 1 and Zone 2 environments
Further technical data and dimensions are available in the technical datasheets you can find in the downloads of this page.
GEA crude oil Desalter
GEA crude oil Desalters have a self-ejecting disk-stack bowl for the separation of oil, water and solids. They are the right choice, if the solids content is limited and if the main purpose is to reduce the salt content of the crude oil.
These centrifuges have been designed specifically for crude oil applications and cover the entire range of possible capacities. They are characterized by high motor performance and optimum dynamics with low energy consumption. Other advantages include high reliability, ease of use and low maintenance costs.
Operating principles and constructional features
In the rotating bowl, the salt-charged water and fine particles are separated from the crude oil. The desalting efficiency can be improved by adding fresh water upstream of the centrifuge to extract water-soluble salts from the crude oil. Water and crude oil are discharged continuously under pressure, with the solids collected in the holding space and being automatically ejected at regular intervals.
Depending on the required capacity, GEA supplies three options for this application:
- GEA crude oil Desalter 80
- GEA crude oil Desalter 120
- GEA crude oil Desalter 200
The GEA crude oil Desalter 200 is available with direct drive, both the versions 80 and 120 are available as belt-driven machines.
Features
- Single unit capacity up to 12,500 BPD (85 m3/h); can easily be extended by combining several units
- Oil gravity > 12° API
- Closed feed and discharge for the product phases
- Flexible adjustment of the separating zone for maximum separation efficiency of the liquid phases
- Special wear protection including replaceable wear liners
- All product containing parts are made from high-grade stainless steel material
- Space-saving design
- ATEX compliant for the operation in ATEX Zone 1 and Zone 2 environments
- BS&W and water-soluble salt are brought to pipeline / refinery quality
Further technical data and dimensions are available in the technical datasheets you can find in the downloads of this page.
When should I choose a Dehydrator vs a Desalter?
Choose a Dehydrator when your primary goal is water removal and solids content is high or variable. Choose a Desalter when solids content is limited and your main objective is salt reduction to meet pipeline or refinery specifications.
Practical guidance:
- Upstream (oil field): Dehydrator is typically preferred due to high water cuts (often 30–70%) and variable solids from production.
- Midstream (tank-to-tank, pipeline prep): Dehydrator for bulk water removal, Desalter if salt specs are critical.
- Downstream (refinery): Desalter is standard for final salt removal before atmospheric distillation (target: <10 PTB salt).
- Combination approach: For very challenging crudes (high water + high salt), a two-stage system (Dehydrator followed by Desalter) may be optimal.
- Modular flexibility: Both units can be combined in parallel or series configurations to match your specific process requirements and flow rates.
Still unsure? Contact GEA for a free process consultation. Our engineers will analyze your crude properties (API gravity, water cut, salt content, solids type/concentration) and recommend the optimal configuration.
FAQ
What is the difference between an industrial crude oil centrifuge and a laboratory centrifuge?
Industrial crude oil centrifuges are large-scale continuous process units (up to 250 m³/h) for meeting pipeline specs, while laboratory centrifuges are small benchtop devices for analyzing oil samples.
How does a centrifuge compare to static separators or electrostatic desalters?
Centrifuges use high g-forces for faster, more thorough separation—especially in heavy or emulsified oils—resulting in a smaller footprint, lower temperatures, and reduced chemical use compared to conventional systems.
Can GEA centrifuges handle heavy crude oil with low API gravity?
Yes, GEA systems process heavy and opportunity crudes with oil gravity > 12° API by using high centrifugal force to break stable emulsions effectively.
What are the typical maintenance requirements for a crude oil centrifuge?
Maintenance focuses on wear-protected rotating parts with replaceable liners, ensuring > 98.5% uptime and predictable service intervals supported by global 24/7 service agreements.
Is the system suitable for offshore or remote locations?
Yes, the compact modular design fits space-constrained environments like offshore platforms, with container or enclosure options available for rapid deployment in remote locations.
Does the system comply with international safety and environmental standards?
All units are ATEX-compliant for Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous areas and help meet environmental regulations by maximizing water removal and minimizing chemical use.
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