Crude Oil BS&W Treatment
BS&W and Custody Transfer
Basic Sediment and Water is the measure of everything in a crude stream that is not oil: free and emulsified water, salt and settled sediment. It is the figure a cargo is bought and sold against, so it governs both the price of the barrel and whether it is accepted at all.
| Component | Origin | Consequence if left in the crude |
|---|---|---|
| Free and emulsified water | Formation water carried with the produced fluid | Volume sold as oil that is not oil, corrosion in pipework and tankage |
| Salt | Dissolved in the produced water | Chloride attack and fouling in the refinery preheat train and furnaces |
| Sediment | Sand, scale and corrosion products from well and pipeline | Abrasive wear, accumulation in tank bottoms, off specification cargo |
Bringing the crude to specification
Centrifugal separation acts on the density difference between the oil, the water and the solids, so all three components of BS&W are addressed in one operation rather than by settling time alone. Where the duty is chiefly bulk water removal, see crude oil dehydration.
Scope of Supply
Separator and decanter technology separates sediment and water from the crude so that the delivered stream meets the specification written into the sales contract.
Water and sediment leave the stream rather than the tank, which reduces the volume handled as waste and raises the proportion of the throughput that is sold as oil.
Skid mounted rental units are transported to the site and set up without permanent works. Each unit is handed over with an operation manual.
An operator on site handles running adjustments, fault finding and optimisation while the unit is in service, which limits downtime during the campaign.
Engineering FAQ
What does BS&W stand for?
BS&W stands for Basic Sediment and Water. It is the combined measure of free and emulsified water, salt and settled sediment carried in a crude stream, and it is the figure a cargo is priced against.
What is BS&W?
Basic Sediment and Water, the measure of everything in a crude stream that is not oil: free and emulsified water, salt and settled sediment.
Why does BS&W matter commercially?
It is the figure a cargo is bought and sold against, so it governs both the price of the barrel and whether the cargo is accepted at all.
What happens if it is left in the crude?
Water is sold as volume that is not oil and corrodes pipework and tankage, salt attacks the refinery preheat train and furnaces, and sediment causes abrasive wear and tank bottom accumulation.
Talk to an Engineer
Send the current BS&W figure, the target specification and the throughput required. We will return a configuration and a scope of supply. See also crude oil sludge treatment.