Resolution of Water-In-Crude Oil Emulsions Using Ionic Liquids

The most common type of emulsion found in oil field is water-in-crude oil. Water-in-crude oil emulsions are unstable colloidal dispersions with water as the dispersed phase and oil as the continuous phase. It occurs in almost every phase of the oil field from the sand face to the surface. About 80% of crude oil produced in the world is recovered in emulsified form. Emulsions constitute numerous problems in the oil and gas industry ranging from flow problems due to high viscosity to increase in cost in the use of demulsifier. In resolving emulsions, heat, chemicals or a combination of both methods can be used. Demulsifiers destabilizes the emulsifier film in the emulsion and thus rupture the film to resolve the emulsion. While heat decreases the viscosity of the emulsion by increasing the entropy of the system, excites and ruptures the film.