Method for treating oil-water emulsions and recovering surfactants

摘要

To improve the separation of a produced oil-water emulsion containing a surfactant, the emulsion parameters of temperature and salinity are brought within certain critical limits. The emulsion will separate into an injectable brine/surfactant phase and a pipeline quality crude oil phase. The operable salinity range is from about 70% to about 130% of the reservoir salinity, and the operable temperature range is from about 75 DEG F. lower to about 75 DEG F. higher than the temperature of the reservoir from which the emulsion was produced.