Hybrid Flotation Technology: Enhancing Efficiency and Sustainability in the Oil and Gas Industry

As water-production rates rise during crude-oil extraction, particularly in waterflooding operations for secondary oil recovery, petroleum production facilities face growing operational costs and environmental concerns. To address these challenges, Saudi Aramco has taken a leading role in integrating hybrid flotation technology into a conventional gravity water/oil separator (WOSEP) to enhance deoiling efficiency and minimize operational costs and carbon emissions.

By combining enhanced gravity separation with induced gas flotation (IGF) in the same vessel, the retrofit significantly increased deoiling capacity, reduced oil-in-water content in the outlet, and improved operational efficiency. This innovative approach provides valuable insights into the design, operation, and performance of hybrid flotation systems that can benefit other petroleum industry initiatives.

The methodology for this upgrade project involved an assessment of the existing WOSEP system and its operational issues. Through careful planning and implementation of cutting-edge hybrid flotation technology, significant improvements were achieved in deoiling efficiency and operational sustainability. The results of this case study offer valuable guidance for the broader petroleum industry as it seeks to navigate the challenges associated with rising water-production rates and environmental concerns related to energy consumption and carbon emissions from water-handling processes.