What is the salt content of crude oil?

What is the salt content of crude oil?

The typical range and standard requirements for crude oil salt content are as follows:

‌1. General Range of Crude Oil Salt Content‌

‌Natural State‌: The salt content in crude oil typically ranges between ‌0.002%–0.02%‌ (i.e., 20–200 mg/L), varying depending on the crude source and processing technology.

‌Major Salt Components‌: Primarily sodium chloride (~75%), calcium chloride (10%), and magnesium chloride (15%).

‌2. Standard Limits Before Refining‌

‌International Requirements‌: Desalted crude oil must have a salt content of ‌≤3 mg/L‌ (or 3 PTB, where 1 PTB ≈ 1 mg/L).

‌Chinese National Standard‌: Commercial crude oil for export must meet ‌≤50 mg/L‌ (GB 36170-2018).

‌3. Hazards of High Salt Content‌

‌Equipment Impact‌: Salt scale clogs pipes, reduces heat exchange efficiency, and chloride hydrolysis produces corrosive hydrogen chloride.

‌Process Risks‌: Residual salts in residue oil may affect catalyst activity and product quality.

‌4. Detection and Treatment Methods‌

‌Testing Method‌: Potentiometric titration (GB/T 6532-2012) is the current standard.

‌Desalting Process‌: Injecting water to dissolve salts, combined with electrostatic desalting units, reduces salt content to safe levels.

Note: Standards may vary significantly across countries/companies (e.g., Russia requires ≤40 mg/L, while the U.S./Canada allow ≤50 mg/L).

SH6532 Salt Content Tester For Crude Oil is designed and made as per national standard of People’s Republic of China GB/T6532 Standard Test ，Method for Salt Content of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products. It is suitable to determine total amount of halides (concentration from 0.002% to 0.02% (m/m)) in the crude petroleum, reduced oil, cracked residue and fuel oil.
It can also be used to estimate seawater contamination of turbine oil and marine fuel oil. If test requirement on precision is within the range of this method, it can also be used to determine other products.