Chemical Treatments Offer Alternative to Acidification for Sheen Control

During the offshore disposal of produced water, an oil sheen is sometimes visible at the surface, even when the oil content is within acceptable limits. Water-soluble organics (WSO) are known as one of the main causes of the appearance of sheen. A common approach to inhibiting sheening is the acidification of oil, in which some organic acid is added before the oil-treatment system. However, high acid volumes (3–5 tons/day at 500 ppm) raise asset-integrity concerns.