Proposta de algoritmo para detecção de vazamentos em oleodutos utilizando análise freqüencial de sinais de pressão

Pipeline leak detection is a matter of great interest for companies who transport petroleum and its derivatives, in face of rising exigencies of environmental policies in industrialized and industrializing countries. However, existing technologies are not yet fully consolidated and many studies have been accomplished in order to achieve better levels of sensitivity and reliability for pipeline leak detection in a wide range of flowing conditions. In this sense, this study presents the results obtained from frequency spectrum analysis of pressure signals from pipelines in several flowing conditions like normal flowing, leakages, pump switching, etc. The results show that is possible to distinguish between the frequency spectra of those different flowing conditions, allowing recognition and announce of liquid pipeline leakages from pressure monitoring. Based upon these results, a pipeline leak detection algorithm employing frequency analysis of pressure signals is proposed, along with a methodology for its tuning and calibration. The proposed algorithm and its tuning methodology are evaluated with data obtained from real leakages accomplished in pipelines transferring crude oil and water, in order to evaluate its sensitivity, reliability and applicability to different flowing conditions

Simulador computacional do comportamento em regime de poços de petróleo equipados com gas-lift contínuo

Amongst the results of the AutPoc Project - Automation of Wells, established between UFRN and Petrobras with the support of the CNPq, FINEP, CTPETRO, FUNPEC, was developed a simulator for equipped wells of oil with the method of rise for continuous gas-lift. The gas-lift is a method of rise sufficiently used in production offshore (sea production), and its basic concept is to inject gas in the deep one of the producing well of oil transform it less dense in order to facilitate its displacement since the reservoir until the surface. Based in the use of tables and equations that condense the biggest number of information on characteristics of the reservoir, the well and the valves of gas injection, it is allowed, through successive interpolations, to simulate representative curves of the physical behavior of the existing characteristic variable. With a simulator that approaches a computer of real the physical conditions of an oil well is possible to analyze peculiar behaviors with very bigger speeds, since the constants of time of the system in question well are raised e, moreover, to optimize costs with assays in field. The simulator presents great versatility, with prominance the analysis of the influence of parameters, as the static pressure, relation gas-liquid, pressure in the head of the well, BSW (Relation Basic Sediments and Water) in curves of request in deep of the well and the attainment of the curve of performance of the well where it can be simulated rules of control and otimization. In moving the rules of control, the simulator allows the use in two ways of simulation: the application of the control saw software simulated enclosed in the proper simulator, as well as the use of external controllers. This implies that the simulator can be used as tool of validation of control algorithms. Through the potentialities above cited, of course one another powerful application for the simulator appears: the didactic use of the tool. It will be possible to use it in formation courses and recycling of engineers

Potassium Leaching as Affected by Soil Texture and Residual Fertilization in Tropical Soils

Potassium (K) leaching is affected by soil texture and available K, among other factors. In this experiment, effects of soil texture and K availability on K distribution were studied in the presence of roots, with no excess water. Soils from two 6-year field experiments on a sandy clay loam and a clay soil fertilized yearly with 0, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha-1 of K2O were accommodated in pots that received 90 kg ha-1 of K2O. Soybean was grown up to its full bloom (R2). Under field conditions, K leaching below the arable layer increased with K rates, but the effect was less noticeable in the clay soil. Potassium leaching in a sandy clay loam soil was related to soil K contents from prior fertilizations. With no excess water, in the presence of soybean roots, K distribution in the profile was significant in the lighter textured soil but was not apparent on the heavier textured soil.

Selectivity of Workers of the Grass-Cutting Ants Atta bisphaerica and Atta capiguara (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Vegetable Oils

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Desenvolvimento de sistemas a base de tensoativos para recuperação avançada de petróleo

Petroleum is a complex combination of various classes of hydrocarbons, with paraffinic, naphtenic and aromatic compounds being those more commonly found in its composition. The recent changes in the world scenario, the large reserves of heavy oils and also the lack of new discoveries of large petroleum fields are indications that, in the near future, the oil recovery by conventional methods will be limited. In order to increase the efficiency of the extraction process, enhanced recovery methods are cited in applications where conventional techniques have proven to be little effective. The injection of surfactant solutions as an enhanced recovery method is advantageous in that surfactants are able to reduce the interfacial tensions between water and oil, thus augmenting the displacement efficiency and, as a consequence, increasing the recovery factor. This work aims to investigate the effects of some parameters that influence the surfactant behavior in solution, namely the type of surfactant, the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the surface and interface tensions between fluids. Seawater solutions containing the surfactants PAN, PHN and PJN have been prepared for presenting lower interfacial tensions with petroleum and higher stability under increasing temperature and salinity. They were examined in an experimental apparatus designed to assess the recovery factor. Botucatu (Brazil) sandstone plug samples were submitted to assay steps comprising saturation with seawater and petroleum, conventional recovery with seawater and enhanced recovery with surfactant solutions. The plugs had porosity between 29.6 and 32.0%, with average effective permeability to water of 83 mD. The PJN surfactant, at a concentration 1000% above CMC in water, had a higher recovery factor, causing the original oil in place to be recovered by an extra 20.97%, after conventional recovery with seawater

Remoção de óleo da água de produção por flotação em coluna utilizando tensoativos de origem vegetal

In the petroleum industry, water is always present in the reservoir formation together with petroleum and natural gas and this fact provokes the production of water with petroleum, resulting in a great environmental impact. Several methods can be applied for treatment of oily waters, such as: gravitational vases, granulated media filtration systems, flotation process, centrifugation process and the use of hydrocyclones, which can also be used in a combined way. However, the flotation process has showed a great efficiency as compared with other methods, because these methods do not remove great part of the emulsified oil. In this work was investigated the use of surfactants derived from vegetable oils, OSS and OGS, as collectors, using the flotation process in a glass column with a porous plate filter in its base for the input of the gaseous steam. For this purpose, oil/water emulsions were prepared using mechanical stirring, with concentrations around 300 ppm. The air flow rate was set at 700 cm3/min and the porous plate filter used for the generation of the air bubbles has pore size varying from 16 to 40 Pm. The column operated at constant volume (1500mL). A new methodology has been developed to collect the samples, where, instead of collecting the water phase, it was collected the oil phase removed by the process in the top of the flotation column. It has been observed that it is necessary to find an optimum surfactant concentration to achieve enhanced removal efficiency. Being for OSS 1.275 mmol/L and for OGS 0.840 mmol/L, with removal efficiencies of 93% and 99%, respectively, using synthetic solutions. For the produced water, the removal in these concentrations was 75% for OSS and 65% for OGS. It is possible to remove oil from water in a flotation process using surfactants of high HLB, fact that is against the own definition of HLB (Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance). The interfacial tension is an important factor in the oil removal process using a flotation process, because it has direct interference in the coalescence of the oil drops. The spreading of the oil of the air bubble should be considered in the process, and for the optimum surfactant concentrations it reached a maximum value. The removal kinetics for the flotation process using surfactants in the optimum concentration has been adjusted according to a first order model, for synthetic water as for the produced water.

Extração do óleo e caracterização dos resíduos da borra de petróleo para fins de reuso

The petroleum industry, in consequence of an intense activity of exploration and production, is responsible by great part of the generation of residues, which are considered toxic and pollutants to the environment. Among these, the oil sludge is found produced during the production, transportation and refine phases. This work had the purpose to develop a process to recovery the oil present in oil sludge, in order to use the recovered oil as fuel or return it to the refining plant. From the preliminary tests, were identified the most important independent variables, like: temperature, contact time, solvents and acid volumes. Initially, a series of parameters to characterize the oil sludge was determined to characterize its. A special extractor was projected to work with oily waste. Two experimental designs were applied: fractional factorial and Doehlert. The tests were carried out in batch process to the conditions of the experimental designs applied. The efficiency obtained in the oil extraction process was 70%, in average. Oil sludge is composed of 36,2% of oil, 16,8% of ash, 40% of water and 7% of volatile constituents. However, the statistical analysis showed that the quadratic model was not well fitted to the process with a relative low determination coefficient (60,6%). This occurred due to the complexity of the oil sludge. To obtain a model able to represent the experiments, the mathematical model was used, the so called artificial neural networks (RNA), which was generated, initially, with 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 neurons in the hidden layer, 64 experimental results and 10000 presentations (interactions). Lesser dispersions were verified between the experimental and calculated values using 4 neurons, regarding the proportion of experimental points and estimated parameters. The analysis of the average deviations of the test divided by the respective training showed up that 2150 presentations resulted in the best value parameters. For the new model, the determination coefficient was 87,5%, which is quite satisfactory for the studied system

Aperfeiçoamento no projeto de um protótipo de misturador-decantador à inversão de fases visando aplicação na indústria do petróleo

In the oil industry the mixture oil/water occurs in the operations of production, transportation and refining, as well as during the use of its derivatives. The amount of water produced associated with the oil varies and can reach values of 90% in volume in the case of mature phase of the production fields. The present work deals with the development of new design of the Mixer Settler based on Phase Inversion (MDIF) in a laboratory scale. We envisage this application in industrial scale so the phases of project, construction and operation are considered. The modifications most significant, in comparison with the original prototype, include the materials of construction and the substitution of the equipment used in the mixing stage of the process. It was tested the viability of substitution of the original system of mechanical mixing by a static mixer. A statistical treatment by means of an experimental design of composed central type was used in order to evaluate the behavior of the main variables of the separation process as function of the efficiency of separation for the new device. This procedure is useful to delimit an optimal region of operation with the equipment. The variables of process considered on the experimental design were: oil concentration in the feeding water (mg/L); Total volumetric flow rate (L/h); Ratio organic/water on volumetric basis (O/A). The separation efficiency is calculated by comparison of the content of oil and greases in the inlet and outlet of the equipment. For determination of TOG (Total Oil and Grease), the method used was based in the absorption of radiation in the infra-red region. The equipment used for these determinations was InfraCal® TOG/TPH Model HATR-T2 of the Wilks Enterprise, Incorporation. It´s important to stand out that this method of measure has being used by PETROBRAS S.A. Results of global efficiency of separation oil/water varied from 75.3 to 97.7% for contaminated waters containing up to 1664,1 mg/L of oil. By means of tests carried out with a real sample of contaminated water supplied by PETROBRAS we have got an effluent specified in terms of the legal standards required for discharging. Thus, the new design of equipment constitutes a real alternative for the conventional systems of treatment of produced water in the oil industry

Desenvolvimento de um destilador solar para tratamento de águas de produção de petróleo com vistas a sua utilização na agricultura e geração de vapor

The production of petroleum is frequently accomplished with great volumes of water, that it is carried of the underground with the oil. It is a challenge of the present century the development of technologies that allow the use of waste water for purposes that consume great amounts of water and don't demand as rigid as the one of the drinking water requirements. The solar distillation has been configuring as an alternative of clean technology for desalination of brine and saline. Besides causing the minimum possible damage to the environment, it takes advantage of an abundant and free energy source: the solar energy. That study aims to develop a Solar Distillator for treatment of the produced water of the oil wells, to obtain an efluent to use in agriculture and vapor generation. The methodology for collection, conservation and analysis of the physical-chemical parameters obeyed the norms in APHA (1995). The sampling was of the composed type. Experiments were accomplished in the solar distillation pilot and simulation in thermostatic bathing. The operation was in batch system and for periods of 4, 6 and 12 h. The developed Distillator is of the type simple effect of two waters. It was still tested two inclination angles for covering; 20º and 45º. The Distillator presented minimum of 2,85 L/m2d revenues and maximum of 7,14 L/m2d. The removals of salts were great than 98%. The removal of TOC in the simulation was great than 90%. In agreement with the data of energy and mass balance, it was verified that the developed solar Distillator presented compatible revenues with those found in literature for similar types. It can be inferred that the obtained distilled water assists to the requirements CONAMA in almost all the points and could be used for irrigation of cultures such as cotton and mamona. As the distilled water has characteristics of fresh water it can be used in the generation of vapor

Planejamento experimental aplicada a um novo separador líquido-líquido utilizado no tratamento de águas residuais contaminadas com petróleo

The present work had as objective to apply an experimental planning aiming at to improve the efficiency of separation of a new type of mixer-settler applied to treat waste water contaminated with oil. An unity in scale of laboratory, was installed in the Post-graduation Program of Chemical Engineering of UFRN. It was constructed in partnership with Petrobras S.A. This called device Misturador-Decantador a Inversão de Fases (MDIF) , possess features of conventional mixer-settler and spray column type. The equipment is composed of three main parts: mixing chamber; chamber of decantation and chamber of separation. The efficiency of separation is evaluated analyzing the oil concentrations in water in the feed and the output of the device. For the analysis one used the gravimetric method of oil and greases analysis (TOG). The system in study is a water of formation emulsified with oil. The used extractant is a mixture of Turpentine spirit hydro-carbons, supplied for Petrobras. It was applied, for otimization of the efficiency of separation of the equipment, an experimental planning of the composite central type, having as factorial portion fractionary factorial planning 2 5-2, with the magnifying of the type star and five replications in the central point. In this work, the following independents variables were studied: contents of oil in the feed of the device; volumetric ratio (O/A); total flowrate ; agitation in the mixing chamber and height of the organic bed. Minimum and maximum limits for the studied variables had been fixed according previous works. The analysis of variance for the equation of the empirical model, revealed statistically significant and useful results for predictions ends. The variance analysis also presented the distribution of the error as a normal distribution and was observed that as the dispersions do not depend on the levels of the factors, the independence assumption can be verified. The variation around the average is explained by 98.98%, or either, equal to the maximum value, being the smoothing of the model in relation to the experimental points of 0,98981. The results present a strong interaction between the variable oil contents in the feed and agitation in the mixing chamber, having great and positive influence in the separation efficiency. Another variable that presented a great positive influence was the height of the organic bed. The best results of separation efficiency had been obtained for high flowrates when associates the high oil concentrations and high agitation. The results of the present work had shown excellent agreement with the results carried out through previous works with the mixer-settler of phase inversion

Controle feedback de nível baseado em sensor de imagem aplicado ao equipamento misturador-decantador à inversão de fases (MDIF®)

The treatment of wastewaters contaminated with oil is of great practical interest and it is fundamental in environmental issues. A relevant process, which has been studied on continuous treatment of contaminated water with oil, is the equipment denominated MDIF® (a mixer-settler based on phase inversion). An important variable during the operation of MDIF® is the water-solvent interface level in the separation section. The control of this level is essential both to avoid the dragging of the solvent during the water removal and improve the extraction efficiency of the oil by the solvent. The measurement of oil-water interface level (in line) is still a hard task. There are few sensors able to measure oil-water interface level in a reliable way. In the case of lab scale systems, there are no interface sensors with compatible dimensions. The objective of this work was to implement a level control system to the organic solvent/water interface level on the equipment MDIF®. The detection of the interface level is based on the acquisition and treatment of images obtained dynamically through a standard camera (webcam). The control strategy was developed to operate in feedback mode, where the level measure obtained by image detection is compared to the desired level and an action is taken on a control valve according to an implemented PID law. A control and data acquisition program was developed in Fortran to accomplish the following tasks: image acquisition; water-solvent interface identification; to perform decisions and send control signals; and to record data in files. Some experimental runs in open-loop were carried out using the MDIF® and random pulse disturbances were applied on the input variable (water outlet flow). The responses of interface level permitted the process identification by transfer models. From these models, the parameters for a PID controller were tuned by direct synthesis and tests in closed-loop were performed. Preliminary results for the feedback loop demonstrated that the sensor and the control strategy developed in this work were suitable for the control of organic solvent-water interface level

Caracterização de água produzida na indústria de petróleo para fins de descarte e otimização do processo de separação óleo/água

The oil industry has several segments that can impact the environment. Among these, produced water which has been highlight in the environmental problem because of the great volume generated and its toxic composition. Those waters are the major source of waste in the oil industry. The composition of the produced water is strongly dependent on the production field. A good example is the wastewater produced on a Petrobras operating unit of Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará (UO-RNCE). A single effluent treatment station (ETS) of this unit receives effluent from 48 wells (onshore and offshore), which leads a large fluctuations in the water quality that can become a complicating factor for future treatment processes. The present work aims to realize a diagnosis of a sample of produced water from the OU - RNCE in compliance to certain physical and physico-chemical parameters (chloride concentration, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, TOG (oil & grease), nitrate concentration, turbidity, salinity and temperature). The analysis of the effluent is accomplished by means of a MP TROLL 9500 Multiparameter probe, a TOG/TPH Infracal from Wilks Enterprise Corp. - Model HATR - T (TOG) and a MD-31 condutivimeter of Digimed. Results were analyzed by univariated and multivariated analysis (principal component analysis) associated statistical control charts. The multivariate analysis showed a negative correlation between dissolved oxygen and turbidity (-0.55) and positive correlations between salinity and chloride (1), conductivity, chloride and salinity (0.70). Multivariated analysis showed there are seven principal components which can explain the variability of the parameters. The variables, salinity, conductivity and chloride were the most important variables, with, higher sampling variance. Statistical control charts have helped to establish a general trend between the physical and chemical evaluated parameters

Aplicação de microemulsão na recuperação de petróleo de reservatórios carbonáticos

The large investment in exploration activities offshore Brazil has generated new findings, generally in carbonate reservoirs, with different wettability conditions usually considered in the sandstone, strongly water-wet. In general, the carbonates reservoirs tend to be oil-wet, it difficult to mobilize of oil these reservoirs. These oils can be mobilized by different methods, or it may reverse the wettability of the surface of the reservoir and facilitate the flow of oil, improving production rates. Thus, the objective of this work was to study the influence of inversion on the wettability of the rock in the production and recovery of petroleum from carbonate reservoirs, using microemulsions. Three systems were chosen with different classes of surfactants: a cationic (C16TAB), an anionic (SDS) and nonionic (Unitol L90). Studies of the influence of salinity on the formation of the microemulsion as well as the characterization of fluids using density and viscosity measurements were also performed. To verify the potential of microemulsion systems in changing the wettability state of the chalk oil-wet to water-wet, contact angle measurements were performed using chalk of neutral-wet as surface material. Overall, with respect to the ionic character of the surfactants tested, the cationic surfactant (C16TAB) had a greater potential for reversal in wettability able to transform the rock wettability neutral to strongly water-wet, when compared with the anionic surfactant (SDS) and nonionic (Unitol L90), which showed similar behavior, improving the wettability of the rock to water. The microemulsions of all surfactants studied were effective in oil recovery, resulting in 76.92% for the system with C16TAB, 67.42% for the SDS and 66.30% for Unitol L90 of residual oil

Projeto e Operação em Escala Semi-Industrial de um Equipamento para Tratamento de Águas Produzidas na Indústria do Petróleo Utilizando Nova Tecnologia: misturador-decantador à inversão de fases - MDIF

The aim of this work is to use a new technology in the treatment of produced wastewaters from oil industry. An unit for treat produced waters called UTMDIF, was designed, installed and operated in an industrial plant for treatment of effluents from oil industry. This unit operates by means of the method of separation of phase inversion and can become a promising alternative to solve the problem of oil/water separation. This method constitutes the basis of the working of a new design of mixersettler of vertical configuration which occupies small surface area. The last characteristic becomes specially important when there is limitation on the lay-out of the plant, for example, over maritime platforms to explore oil. This equipment in a semi-industrial scale treats produced wastewaters contaminated with oil at low concentrations (ranging from 30 to 150 mg/L) and throughputs of 320 m3/d (47,4 m3 m-2 h-1). Good results were obtained in oil/water separation which leads to the necessary specification to discharge those wastewaters. Besides, the non dependence of the efficiency of separation in spite of the salinity of the medium becomes the equipment an attractive new technology to treat wastewaters containing oil at low concentrations

Estudo de técnicas para o tratamento alternativo de efluentes oleosos oriundos da industrialização da castanha de caju

An evaluation project was conducted on the technique of treatment for effluent oil which is the deriving process to improve cashews. During the evaluation the following techniques were developed: advanced processes of humid oxidation, oxidative processes, processes of biological treatment and processes of adsorption. The assays had been carried through in kinetic models, with an evaluation of the quality of the process by means of determining the chemical demand of oxygen (defined as a technique of control by means of comparative study between the available techniques). The results demonstrated that the natural biodegradation of the effluent ones is limited, as result using the present natural flora in the effluent one revealed impracticable for an application in the industrial systems, independent of the evaluation environment (with or without the oxygen presence). The job of specific microorganisms for the oily composite degradation developed the viability technique of this route, the acceptable levels of inclusion in effluent system of treatment of the improvement of the cashew being highly good with reasonable levels of removal of CDO. However, the use combined with other techniques of daily pay-treatment for these effluent ones revealed to still be more efficient for the context of the treatment of effluent and discarding in receiving bodies in acceptable standards for resolution CONAMA 357/2005. While the significant generation of solid residues the process of adsorption with agroindustrial residues (in special the chitosan) is a technical viable alternative, however, when applied only for the treatment of the effluent ones for discarding in bodies of water, the economic viability is harmed and minimized ambient profits. Though, it was proven that if used for ends of I reuse, the viability is equalized and justifies the investments. There was a study of the photochemistry process which have are applicable to the treatment of the effluent ones, having resulted more satisfactory than those gotten for the UV-Peroxide techniques. There was different result on the one waited for the use of catalyses used in the process of Photo. The catalyses contained the mixing oxide base of Cerium and Manganese, incorporated of Potassium promoters this had presented the best results in the decomposition of the involved pollutants. Having itself an agreed form the gotten photochemistry daily paytreatment resulted, then after disinfection with chlorine the characteristics next the portability to the water were guarantee. The job of the humid oxidation presented significant results in the removal of pollutants; however, its high cost alone is made possible for job in projects of reuses, areas of low scarcity and of raised costs with the capitation/acquisition of the water, in special, for use for industrial and potable use. The route with better economic conditions and techniques for the job in the treatment of the effluent ones of the improvement of the cashew possesses the sequence to follow: conventional process of separation water-oil, photochemistry process and finally, the complementary biological treatment