The last year has seen the release of the long awaited new version of our award-winning Profiler^TM technology. This version was specifically designed for high temperature processing applications such as desalting and Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD).

Within many refineries, there is a growing tendency to process heavier crudes or blend these with lighter feed stocks.  During crude oil refining, it is advantageous to optimise the blend to reduce overall feedstock costs whilst at the same time ensuring the final mix can be adequately processed with minimal upset. This can present challenges with instrumentation used to control bulk level and interface as they would need to be re-calibrated to accommodate the crude mix. In addition, the challenge of operating at such a high temperature (as much as 194^oC/380^oF) can present issues in instrumentation choices.

Our new technology's detailed accuracy gives unparalled benefits in increasing crude throughput and reducing costs associated with chemical dosing one customer has reported increased throughput by as much as 20,000 barrels per day. In this case this was achieved by running the emulsion level at 82% allowing more volume in the desalter for the crude. Running the emulsion at such a high level is made possible due to the detailed profiling provided by the instrument with an accuracy of +/-1% giving the operator confidence to run the level so high.

Outstanding work has been done in gaining certification for this product - the initial response of the approval bodies was that it wasn't possible to create the instrument suitable for the required temperatures . We are extremely proud of  the great achievement by the team developing the underlying thermal technology that will enable the Profiler^TM to be used at high temperatures.

The Profiler^TM is the only instrument in the world that is specifically designed to measure the vertical distribution of, oil, emulsion, water and solids in a separator. It's unique ability to show such finite detail in the density profile within a process has made it the instrument of choice in separation applications from subsea to downstream refining. Unlike the existing point measurement technology, this patented instrument is a true ‘window’ into the whole vessel to enable the operator to improve production throughput, manage chemical usage and reduce downtime. Enhanced desalting greatly reduces corrosion within the plant and minimizes impact to the environment due to improved waste water management.

Why you may want to choose the Profiler^TM for your operations:

• Increase crude throughput.
• Ability to enhance feedstock blend without the need to re-calibrate equipment
• Eliminate interface excursion upsets and reduce demand on electrostatic grid power by monitoring and controlling rag layer.
• High stability and accuracy across a wide range of process conditions
• No radiation dose rate external to the vessel.

The non-contact, no moving parts technology provides accurate and repeatable measurements resulting in increased throughput and minimal maintenance intervention.

Using the technology principle deployed in many subsea and upstream separation applications the new Profiler^TM is able to accommodate SIL2 trip required for many functional safety systems.

If you are interested in finding out more please request a lunch and learn or consultation.