Optical Based Technique for Real-Time Analysis of Produced Water

Optical based instruments have many benefits over other technologies for analysis of particles in produced water. Most imaging based particle analysers use aspect ratio as the primary factor in distinguishing between oil and solids, as oil is expected to form droplets and have an aspect ratio close to 1. However due to slight inaccuracies in analysis single oil droplets often have aspect ratios as low as 0.70, whilst non-oil solids vary greatly. Fluid Imaging’s PetroCAM uses pattern recognition based algorithms to measure and analyse up to 20 different particle parameters which can then be used to classify each particle leading to better produced water component characterisation. The PetroCAM is available in the UK from Meritics Ltd.