IPRC'S microwave technology for emulsion treatment to be applied in Central Africa
IPRC will provide its Microwave Separation Technology (MST) in combination with an Alfa Laval centrifuge to treat the emulsions generated in the production process. The equipment package will be fabricated in Houston and Europe and will be assembled and tested in IPRC's Houston manufacturing facility.
ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company and Imperial Petroleum Recovery Corporation have a worldwide marketing and technology development agreement for MST.
The petroleum industry must deal with oil, water and solid emulsions on a daily basis. Many of these combinations are very stable and difficult to separate and, in addition to tying up valuable tankage, have historically required expensive thermal, chemical, or mechanical treatment. The MST provides a highly efficient, cost effective solution to these problems.
MST uses high-powered radio frequency/microwave energy to preferentially heat the water inside the emulsion matrix, thereby facilitating separation by creating differences in surface tension and density. The MST unit operates continuously and is able to process multiple streams with different levels of oil, water, and solids.
Exxon Mobil Corporation is a leading global oil, natural gas, and petrochemical company whose subsidiaries have operations in over 170 countries. Additional information regarding Exxon Mobil Corporation, EMRE and the technologies it licenses can be found at www.exxonmobil.com/refiningtechnologies.
Source: ExxonMobil