2026-10-15Industry View
Evaluating demulsifier dosage in the field
Build a dosage curve with bottle tests, then correct it for field temperature and retention time.
Demulsifier dosage is not a single number. It is a range set by dehydration temperature, retention time and crude properties together.
Bottle tests quickly establish a dosage versus dehydration curve, but field units usually run thermochemical dehydration plus desalting in two stages, so laboratory results need correction for actual retention time.
When changing products or dosage, keep a week of dehydration data: rag layer thickness, water drop rate, interface condition and oil in water. A dirty interface is often a sign of over-dosing or a mismatched formulation.