Review of Modern Crude Oil Desalting Technologies with Emphasis on Efficiency Improvement and Energy Reduction

Crude oil desalting, as one of the key pre-refining stages, plays a vital role in preventing equipment corrosion, extending the service life of heat exchangers, and improving the quality of refinery products. In recent years, with the increasing trend toward processing heavier and more impure crude oils, the need to develop advanced desalting methods that are both efficient and energy-saving has become more critical. Traditional technologies, including chemical and electrostatic methods, although relatively effective, face challenges such as high energy consumption, dependence on expensive chemical additives, and the generation of pollutant-containing wastewater. In contrast, emerging technologies such as advanced membrane systems, optimized electric field applications, ultrasonic waves, nanoparticles, and artificial intelligence (AI)- or multi-objective optimization-based models have been introduced. This review paper analyzes the strengths and limitations of each of these technologies based on recent studies, with a particular emphasis on improving desalting efficiency and reducing energy consumption, and outlines the future industrial development prospects of modern crude oil desalting processes.

Keywords:

Crude oil desalting , Energy-efficient separation technologies , Nanotechnology and AI in petroleum processing