Desalting plant systems and methods for enhanced tight emulsion crude oil treatment

1. A method for treating a rag layer in a gas oil separation plant process, the method comprising:

withdrawing the rag layer from a first vessel proximate an oil water interface;

conveying the rag layer to a separation device, the separation device operable to separate oil and water; and

recycling separated oil from the separation device back to a second vessel of the gas oil separation plant process, where the withdrawing the rag layer is in part based on a pressure differential between a pressure in the first vessel and a pressure in the second vessel, the pressure in the first vessel being greater than the pressure in the second vessel; and

operating a water level control valve in response to a deactivation signal from insulated electrostatic electrodes to reduce a water level in the first vessel to below an oily water interface skimmer such that the oil water interface is proximate the oily water interface skimmer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , where withdrawing the rag layer from the first vessel occurs in a vessel selected from the group consisting of: a dehydrator and a desalter.

3. The method according to claim 1 , where the separation device comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of: a three-phase separation device equipped with the insulated electrostatic electrodes; a spool of pipe equipped with the insulated electrostatic electrodes; an external steam modulation unit; a direct steam injection mixing unit; a membrane-based separation device; a centrifugal separator; and an evaporative concentration system comprising a heat exchanger.

4. The method according to claim 3 , where the separation device comprises the direct steam injection mixing unit.

5. The method according to claim 3 , where the separation device comprises the direct steam injection mixing unit to apply steam to the rag layer at a temperature of about 300° F. and a pressure of about 50 psig or greater.

6. The method according to claim 4 , where the separation device comprises the three-phase separation device equipped with fully insulated electrostatic electrodes following the direct steam injection mixing unit.

7. The method according to claim 4 , where the separation device comprises the spool of pipe equipped with fully insulated electrostatic electrodes following the direct steam injection mixing unit.

8. The method according to claim 4 , where the separation device comprises the membrane-based separation device following the direct steam injection mixing unit, and where the membrane-based separation device includes at least one membrane material selected from the group consisting of: alumina, titania, silica, silicon carbide, and combinations thereof.

9. The method according to claim 4 , where the separation device comprises the centrifugal separator following the direct steam injection mixing unit.

10. The method according to claim 4 , where the separation device comprises the evaporative concentration system following the direct steam injection mixing unit.

11. The method according to claim 1 , where withdrawing the rag layer from the first vessel proximate an oil water interface includes withdrawing the rag layer from the first vessel proximate oily water interface skimmer.

12. The method according to claim 1 , where conveying the rag layer to the separation device includes conveying the rag layer through a restricted orifice.

13. The method according to claim 12 , where withdrawing is continuous during operation of the gas oil separation plant process.

14. The method according to claim 1 , where withdrawing is controlled in part by a level indicator and controller in communication with the first vessel and in communication with a control valve, the control valve in fluid communication with the first vessel.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising discontinuing conveying the rag layer to the separation device when the separation device detects about 100% water being withdrawn from the first vessel.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising increasing the pressure of the rag layer prior to the conveying.

17. The method according to claim 16 , where increasing the pressure includes using at least one of a turbocharger and a pump.

18. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising increasing the pressure of the rag layer prior to the recycling.

19. The method according to claim 18 , where increasing the pressure includes using at least one of a turbocharger and a pump.

20. The method according to claim 1 , where withdrawing the rag layer from the first vessel occurs in a vessel selected from the group consisting of: a dehydrator and a desalter, and recycling separated oil from the separation device back to the second vessel occurs in a vessel selected from the group consisting of: a low pressure degassing tank and a dehydrator.