Crude Oil Emulsions: 2021 #8

The statement most false regarding emulsions is:
A) Mechanical equipment available for breaking oilfield emulsions includes free water knockout drums, three-phase separators, desalters, and settling tanks.
B) Sedimentation and creaming are driven by the density differences between oil and water.
C) Coalescence is an irreversible process that is enhanced by low water cut.
D) Demulsification, the separation of emulsion into its component phases, is a two-step process.

Click the buttton for the answer, with commentary. Feel free to ask questions.

C) Coalescence is the second step in demulsification. During coalescence, water droplets fuse or coalesce together to form a larger drop. This is an irreversible process that tends to a decrease in the number of water droplets and eventually to complete demulsification. Coalescence is enhanced by the following factors. High water cut increases the frequency of collisions between droplets. (HS1 P552).