Oil in water analyzer

1. A method comprising:

a) producing an effluent stream;

b) acquiring a sample from the effluent stream;

c) transferring the sample into an extraction device;

d) injecting a known volume of a water-immiscible solvent into the extraction device;

e) mixing the sample and the known volume of the water-immiscible solvent in the extraction device;

f) extracting a hydrocarbon/solvent mixture from the sample;

g) transporting the hydrocarbon/solvent mixture to a spectroscopic cell;

h) determining the hydrocarbon concentration of the hydrocarbon/solvent mixture by spectroscopy techniques; and

i) continuously altering a dewatering/desalting operation based upon the concentration of the hydrocarbon material in the sample.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effluent stream is from a dewatering/desalting process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effluent stream comprises water and a hydrocarbon material.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the amount of water in the effluent stream is at least 95 wt %.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hydrocarbon material is at least 10 ppm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the sample taken from the effluent stream ranges from 0.5 mL to 50 mL.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is water-immiscible.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises a group of water-immiscible solvents consisting of: toluene, xylene, substituted aromatics, mixed aromatics, mixed hydrocarbons, straight run gasoline, saturated hydrocarbons and halogenated alkanes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spectroscopy techniques utilized consisting of: ultra violet spectroscopy, visible spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and refractive index.

10. An oil in water analyzing method comprising:

a) producing an effluent stream from a dewatering/desalting operation wherein a portion of the effluent stream flows through a sample loop of the oil in water analyzer,

b) trapping from 0.5 mL to 50 mL of a sample of the effluent stream from the dewatering/desalting operation within the sample loop;

c) transferring the sample into an extraction device with the assist of a pressurized gas;

d) injecting a known volume of toluene into the extraction device;

e) mixing the sample and the known volume of toluene in the extraction device;

f) feeding air through a venturi to create a pumping action to extract an amount of a hydrocarbon from the sample into the toluene;

g) transferring the hydrocarbon/toluene mixture to a spectroscopic cell with a water assist;

h) determining the hydrocarbon concentration of the hydrocarbon/toluene mixture by spectroscopy techniques;

i) transferring the leftover hydrocarbon/toluene mixture and water to a waste removal port with the assist of pressurized gas; and

j) injecting an amount of toluene to solvent rinse the oil in water analyzer,

wherein the operation of the dewatering/desalting operation is adjusted based upon the concentration of the hydrocarbon material in the sample.