Reducing the evaporation of stored Iraqi crude oil

Abstract EN

In order to reduce the losses due to evaporation in the stored crude oil and minimizing the decrease in °API many effecting parameters were studied (i.e.

different storage system, namely batch system with different types of storage % tanks under different temperatures and.

or different pressures).

Continuous circulation storage system was also studied.

It was found that increasing pressure of the inert gas from 1 bar to 8 bar over the surface of the crude oil will decrease E the percentage losses due to evaporation by (0.016 %) and decrease the change of °API by (0.9) during 96 hours storage time.

Similarly using covering by surfactant (potassium locate) or using polymer (polyurethane foam) decreases the B percentage evaporation losses compared with uncovered surface of the blend crude oil.

In each surfactants and % polymers the layer thickness was (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 cm), and increasing the thickness of the surfactant to 2.5 cm or W of the polymer to 3 cm was found to be best required thickness.

Surfactant gave lower percentage evaporation losses k than polymer, for fixed roof tank (i.e.

0.299 %, 0.383 %) for 120 hours evaporation time.

Different processed storage of tanks namely (fixed roof, external moving roof fixed and internal moving) were studied and fixed and moving roof was, r the best in reducing evaporation losses (0.453 %) for 120 hours.

In continuous circulation for proposed continuous ; storage system, the percentage evaporation losses for covered with surfactant, covered with polymer, and uncovered surface of blend crude oil were (0.328 %), (0.378 %), and (0.45 %) respectively at 24°C for 96 hours evaporation time.