What Are Emulsions and Reverse Emulsions of Oil?

Basically, both of them are emulsions. Emulsion is a name for the combined form of two phases which are usually unable to be combined; in example oil and water. To be able to combine them, another element called emulgator is needed. In the case of oil and water, the emulgator could be the solid phase found in the reservoir.

The term emulsion, in the oil industry, refers to the emulsion formed as water surrounded by oil. Think of it as an orange with oil as its skin and water as its innard.

Reverse-emulsion is the exact reverse: it is emulsion formed as oil surrounded by water.

Emulsions and reverse-emulsions of oil are the unwanted forms of liquid produced by oil well. They are the combined form of water and oil produced together. When an oil well produce emulsions, the oil well operator will have a big headache. Their values are zero, they cannot be stored in tanker or storage tanks, and they cannot be dumped directly into the open water or closed water system.

So what do they do with them? They break the emulsion using Emulsion Breaker (demulsifier) and reverse-emulsion breaker (water-clarifier). Those are specialty chemicals now common to be found everywhere on any oilfields because nowadays water is common produced liquid along with oil. In some oilfield water is even the majority production, beating oil in 9:1 comparison.