MST Technology 
Emulsion Treating
IPRC provides a better way of handling emulsions, by treating them proactively and at low cost before they cause problems.
MST-150 Emulsion Treating Area
Benefits to you significantly exceed the treating costs.
- Operational improvement
- Cost reduction
- New revenue enhancement paybacks.
IPRC uses its patented MST system to apply microwave energy to destabilize emulsions and facilitate their separation, thereby providing a unique, new capability .
MST is different from conventional methods because it uses physics, rather than chemistry to destabilize the emulsion. MST utilizes rapidly oscillating electromagnetic fields, and an affinity for selectively energizing the charged and polar molecules that typically stabilize the oil/water interface. This disrupts their capacity to stabilize the emulsion.
The physics MST uses are common to nearly all crude oil emulsions, whereas conventional chemistry-based approaches must be tailored to each emulsion, and other “brute force” separators do nothing to address the issue of oil/water interface stability.
MST Emulsion Breaking and Separation System
It is possible to fully automate MST so that no full-time staff is required for operation.
MST’s automated operation simplifies the process and reduces the per-barrel cost of treating emulsions so many emulsions are treated on a routine basis close to their source, where treatment is easiest and volume is low. No other emulsion service offers these benefits.
Without well-built technology to break and separate emulsions, the industry has learned to “handle” them in a variety of ways. This has proven functional but not fully acceptable.
IPRC integrate MST into the refinery or production process flow to treat emulsions on a routine basis before most of the liabilities associated with them can occur. IPRC provides value by treating emulsions at low market rates and by avoiding the liabilities associated with other handling methods.
MST is more than a new technology for treating crude oil emulsions.
MST is a new and important production and refining optimization tool. It provides new capability not available before, and the benefits from increased revenue will exceed the cost savings.
With MST, think in terms of “new revenue opportunities” rather than “cost savings.”
Examples of existing emulsion-related liabilities that MST addresses:
- Well closures
- Desalter, treater, and crude unit upsets and rate cuts
- Upsets and rate cuts when changing crude tanks
- Maintenance, energy and chemical costs
- Equipment fouling
- Hydrocarbon loss via the sewer and evaporation
- High wastewater oil and solids loads
- Tied-up tankage in emulsion/slop oil storage and treating
- Hydrocarbon exposure in ponds and basins
- High sludge and slop contractor treating costs
- Bottlenecks on desalter and crude unit throughput
- Desalter limits on heavy crude processing
- Benzene NESHAPS unit upsets
- High desalted crude BS&WProduction crude BS&W pipeline price penalties
- Elimination of sludge volume growth and stability over time
We've animated the emulsion process so you can view MST in action.
