Start Date
June 2022

Background
In the past, the CCQTA has completed numerous projects where sediment contamination in crude (filterable solids) have been linked to a number of operability issues (e.g. tank bottoms, equipment wear, plant unit fouling, operability issues, catalyst poisoning, product contamination). The Association has been advocating for decades for a filterable solids specification in crude since the present S&W test method is inadequate for identifying solids issues. To provide perspective, 0.05% = 500 ppm and NACE recommends, in a crude unit corrosion guide, that filterable solids in raw crude not exceed 60 ppm.

Recent information provided by a CCQTA member re-confirmed the link between the quantity of production solids within crude and refinery fouling issues. This information, along with parallel concerns by transmission pipelines regarding the role of solids in tank bottom sludge accumulation, rekindled an interest in looking at filterable solids in crude.

Two transmission line operators have been collecting filterable solids data, via ASTM D4807, regularly on all pipelined commodities. Crude monitor has also been reporting D4807 results over the past 10 years. The combined average levels of the 2300 samples tested is 210 wppm. Refinery feed data is slightly lower at 195 wppm.

Project objectives are to:

• Determine if a limit for filterable solids should be placed on crude oil,
  
• What the limit should be,
  
• Should it be product specific (medium vs. heavy crude),
  
• Identify key variable of concern (inorganic sediment, TIOM, particulates, particle size, etc…), and
  
• Determine suitable test method(s).
  

• Compile available plant data connecting operability issues (production/pipeline/refinery) with solids/particulate in crude.
  
• Establish the “problematic level”. What limit would be appropriate?
  
• Collect available measured data on crude solids/particulate content Establish baseline data for crude(s). Where are we now?
  
• Recommend limits/targets for solids/particulates in crude.
  
• Assess capabilities of on-line monitoring methods e.g. Dynamic Imaging Technology, Magnetic Filtration, etc…
  

• Project was proposed at the June 2022 Open Forum meeting.
  
• Filterable solids data from both midstream and refiners were presented at the September 2022 project meeting.
  
• A refiner specific meeting was held on October 24, 2022 to understand the most pressing issues refiners have with filterable solids.
  
• A summary of refiner concerns was presented at the December 2022 project meeting. Primary concern is desalter upset followed by process unit fouling.
  
• A water washing protocol was developed to evaluate filterable solids for water solubility to determine the crystalline salt content vs insoluble solids. Two laboratories (Bureau Veritas and Agat) are currently performing this additional test under pipeline operator direction.
  
• The initial water washed results were presented at the March 2023 project meeting.
  
• To date, water washing reduced filterable solids between 11 % and 100 % and averaged 60 % reduction. In theory, only water insoluble solids (sediments, asphaltenes, etc…) will result in desalter upset and downstream unit fouling. See September 2023 meeting minutes for details.
  
• The LSB Quality project merged with Filterable Solids in September 2023 since both were on a similar trajectory and collecting complimentary data.
  
  

• Summary and findings from the LSB Quality project were provided at the December 2023 project meeting.
  
• Focusing attention on desalter upsets with correlations to filterable solids and particle size impacts.
  
• Feedback was received from chemical suppliers and refiners regarding their experiences with filterable solids in the refinery. (See
  
• One refiner reported that approximately 60% of desalter upsets are related to slop injection.
  
• Much of the information provided by refiners and additive suppliers to date is based on anecdotal evidence or perceptions as opposed to real data.
  
• Project members agree that standardization of a method for filterable solids testing and developing criteria for determining desalter solids capacity would be very helpful for the industry in managing solids.
  
• Details on the member supplied filterable solids methods will be provided at the March 2024 filterable solids meeting. The intention is to discuss and agree on a methodology that all can be applied across the industry which would allow comparisons between refineries when troubleshooting.