Crude oil

Addressing the challenges of processing heavy crude oils

GEA centrifuges are not limited to oils of low and medium densities as well as viscosities. They also efficiently dewater and desalinate heavy crudes (20° API down to 13° API, or specific gravities of 0.93–0.98), which experience has shown are hard to treat using conventional gravity and electrostatic methods.

The small density difference between oil and water at these API gravities can only be utilized efficiently using high g forces created through centrifugal acceleration, which is precisely the advantage of GEA separators. Centrifugal technology also minimizes operational requirements for heating, dilution, wash water and chemical additives. All this means a significant reduction in operating costs.

Optimized crude oil processing: GEA's high-performance centrifuges

GEA centrifuges are manufactured from high-quality materials, such as duplex and super duplex steels. As a result, our machines can withstand the harsh process conditions during oil production and the high loads during operation. This allows them to meet our customers’ demands for long and efficient operating lives. GEA's optimized designs are able to handle variations in both feed conditions and oil characteristics with ease. With their combination of high separation efficiency and small footprint GEA separators are ideal for use offshore, where space is always key, though they are equally effective in onshore applications.
Depending on the product characteristics, GEA offers either nozzle-type separators or self-ejecting disk-type centrifuges. For dewatering of crude oil we can supply either stand-alone machines or complete “plug & play” installations including pumps, filters, control systems and supervisory equipment. For installations that require gas-tight and explosion-protected systems, GEA also supplies complete Ex packages to ATEX/ISO standards with nitrogen blanketing.