Sulzer’s Chemtech division has been granted a licence covering Total’s wash tank technology for oil processing.
The Total-patented technology enhances the removal of water, salt and contaminants from oil and emulsions, by a controlled distribution of the feed into the bottom of a FPSO/FSO/FPU hull tank. This transforms the water-in-oil dispersion into an oil-in-water dispersion where high efficiency phase separation takes place more easily.
Sulzer will commercialize the licenced technology along with its static mixing technology as well as patented oil/water emulsion distributors.
This technology has been in operation for many years on the Total-operated Usan, Pazflor and Clov FPSOs, as well as on the recently started Moho Nord/Likouf FPU.