Influence of Water Content and Temperature on Stability of W/O Crude Oil Emulsion

Water content of W/O crude oil emulsion and temperature have great influence on stability of the W/O crude oil emulsion and the subsequent demulsification process especially for oil-water treatment centers using a two-step sedimentation demulsification process in Jilin oilfield. Electrical microscope and Turbiscan stability analyzer were employed to investigate the influence of water content and temperature on stability of synthetic W/O emulsion. The results show that the average water droplets size decreases when water content decreases, the emulsion stability decreases when water content or holding temperature increases, and the emulsion stability constant and the temperature have a linear relationship.