Emulsions

Emulsions in the oil industry have undesirable effects on oil production and recovery. Emulsions are dispersed systems in which the phases are immiscible or partially miscible liquids. The emulsion most formed in the oil reservoir is of the water in oil type (W/O). Therefore, the water must be extracted so that it does not compromise the operations of the processes in the refineries. The formation of these emulsions is inevitable, and they must be broken before the transportation and refining process to meet specific standards. The destabilization mechanisms are an important process in the oil industry. The breakage of stable emulsions occurs through complex processes that require previous studies, allowing rational planning of the methodology.