Heater treater

Production Equipment

A heater treater is a specialized vessel that uses heat to break oil-water emulsions and separate gas from the liquid. Since crude oil often comes out of the ground as an automated emulsion with water, simple gravity separation is insufficient.

The vessel contains a fire tube (burner) that heats the fluid, reducing the viscosity of the oil and weakening the surface tension of the water droplets, allowing them to settle out. This ensures the output oil meets the 'BS&W' (Basic Sediment and Water) specifications required for pipeline transport.