During oil and gas production, foam bubbles can form, and their presence is detrimental to the quality of the products. Typically, foams are caused when gas is introduced and settled into a solution. The depressurization of hydrocarbons in oil and gas production forms gas entrainment, which leads to negative impacts on production, including safety hazards, liquid carryover, reduced separation, false reading, and an overall inefficient system.
The formation of foam bubbles must be reduced or eliminated to ensure product quality, improved productivity, and reduced production cost. One of the many methods to manage foam is by chemical control using antifoam agents or defoamers, which counteract foam formation.
Crucible Chemicaloffers defoaming solutions that improve the efficiency of oil and gas production systems. Our products include silicone, organo-silicone, non-silicone and powder defoamers, which are suitable for oil and gas and many other applications.
How Is Foam Formed in Oil and Gas Systems?
Foams from crude oil are called ‘foamy oil’ that form during the actual extraction of oil from the well or in the tank used to separate oil from water and gas. These foams result from the depressurization of dissolved gas into the oil. Foams damage downstream compressors and can lead to tank and equipment spills.
Benefits of Using Defoamers During Oil and Gas Production
Defoamers and antifoaming agents are widely used in oil and gas production to control, prevent, and remove foams in a solution. While defoamer and antifoaming agents are used interchangeably, they offer distinct features to their users. Defoamers are foam control agents used to reduce or eradicate foams. Meanwhile, antifoaming agents are employed in a system to prevent the emergence of foams.
Increased Unit Capacity
Foaming lowers the capacity of deaerators, gas scrubbers, effluent systems, glycol regenerators, two- or three-phase separators for crude oil production, and gas compressors. Defoamers are ideal for revamping these units to maximize their performance.
Increased Cost-Efficiency
Foam control agents like defoamers help decrease the probability of operational interruptions caused by foaming in gas compressors and glycol regenerators.
Decreased Cost Production
Defoamers control the contamination of separated gases or liquids in two- or three-phase separators for crude oil production, gas scrubbers, and gas compressors. As a result, oil and gas production costs also decrease.
Safety
Defoamers help reduce the risks of fire, spillage, and pollution.
Increased Lifetime of Process Equipment
The persistent presence of foam strains process equipment, forcing it to wear and drastically shrinking its lifespan. Using defoamers will help manufacturers maintain their equipment and preserve its longevity.
Applications of Defoamers in the Oil and Gas Industry
Defoamers keep foaming in check and prevent unfavorable effects on oil and gas production. They are utilized for several applications in the oil and gas industry, including:
- Gas oil separators
- Glycol dehydrators
- Gas sweetening
- Delayed cokers
- Propane deasphalting
- High-detergent motor oils
- Amine scrubbing units and cooling
Oil and Gas Defoaming Agents from Crucible Chemical
Crucible Chemical has comprehensive experience manufacturing defoamers, antifoaming agents, and other foam control products. Because of this, we can provide a broad spectrum of defoamers for various industries and applications. Here are some of our excellent defoamers for oil and gas:
- Foamkill 8R Series: Medium viscosity 100% active foam control compounds formulated to handle severe foaming applications.
- Foamkill 8D: Low viscosity, easy-to-handle antifoam compound that can be utilized to formulate ready-to-use auxiliaries. It is useful in asphalt processing to suppress foaming in loading, mixing, or spraying. It also aids in the cleaner separation of overhead products from residual systems.
- Foamkill S-10: Versatile silicone emulsion effecting for foam prevention and knockdown in aqueous media.
- Foamkill 159A: Powdered antifoam and deaerator particularly effective in drilling fluids and cement and concrete applications.
- Foamkill 902A: Antifoam emulsion that effectively controls foam in glycol dehydration units, amine gas scrubbing, and gas sweetening.
- Foamkill 832-HP: High-efficiency multipurpose emulsion useful at broad temperature ranges.
- Foamkill SD-411: General purpose defoamer for DEA, MEA scrubbing units, Udex units, glycol dehydrators, and other applications where cost-efficient foam control is required.
- Cru-Fluid 12,500 – 60,000: The expansive viscosity scope of silicone fluids is useful in many petroleum processes including delayed cokers, vacuum tower units, gas-oil separators, asphalt processing, etc.. In crude oils with high gas content, these fluids improve separation and distillation efficiency
Work With Crucible Chemical for Highly Reliable Oil and Gas Defoamers
The control and prevention of foam in oil and gas production is vital in guaranteeing the superior quality and efficiency of the products. Defoamers and antifoaming agents are the best solutions to eradicate and prevent foaming from negatively influencing the production of oil and gas products.
Crucible Chemical has developed and designed Foamkill™ — our complete line of foam control products — to fulfill the foam control requirements of virtually every industry that processes fluids..
Our 50 years of field experience made us capable of delivering solutions for your foaming problems. You can count on us to select a Foamkill formula for your system.
Contact us today to see how our defoamers and antifoaming agents can serve your operation!