Oil and Gas

BRB Snapsil defoamers are widely used by the oil and gas industry. They assist in the hydrocarbon extraction process, oil and gas production and in a host of refinery operations.

High injection pressures and process aids contribute to air entrainment in drilling fluids and cementing well-bore linings. BRB Snapsil RE20 offers the appropriate chemical resistance to prevent the formation of troublesome foam in these activities. Crude oil contains significant volumes of dissolved gases, stabilised by high subterranean pressures. On production, where the crude oil passes through gas-oil separators, under normal atmospheric conditions, these are coalesced resulting in high levels of unwanted foam. A range of water-free defoamers based on high viscosity BRB silicone oils are used to great effect. Natural gas emerges from the ground, often with high concentrations of water, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. Successful quenching of these contaminants subjects the resource to high levels of mechanical action in either cyclones or glycol units. BRB Snapsil TX12 is well suited to eliminate foam in this application.

Foam also appears in other petrochemical operations such as cracking, delayed coking and asphalt processing. BRB Snapsil 3107 has been successfully formulated as a refinery antifoam to ensure swiftest hydrocarbon process rates.