BS&W stands for Basic Sediment and Water. BS&W is a standard oil and gas industry term to describe the unusable elements in a well stream. These are typically elements like sand, paraffin, dirt, and water.
Just like with natural gas, the oil sold from an upstream to midstream company must meet certain agreed-upon contractual quality standards. BS&W levels are a way to quantify those standards.
How is BS&W tested?
A common way to test BS&W levels is with a LACT Unit.
A LACT is a piece of oil and gas equipment used to sample and measure oil so it can be transferred from one company to another. LACT stands for Lease Automatic Custody Transfer.
This unit will have an electric pump, control valve, and meter, which will tell you flow rate and monitor BS&W levels to make sure they’re meeting contractual specifications.
A LACT Unit is placed after the initial separation equipment and storage.
Not all operations have LACT units. Contracts may be more or less lenient depending on the midstream buyer. Some companies will do testing per truck load. Before the operator connects the truck's hoses to the storage tanks and begins transferring the oil, they will test it. Other midstream buyers may take the oil and process out the BS&W on their own as needed.
What if Required BS&W Levels are Not Met?
If the oil is not meeting the quality standards required, producers will recycle it through the separation system again to try to extract more of the BS&W.
If the oil is not meeting BS&W levels consistently, the separation equipment is probably not operating as efficiently as it could be or the vessels may be undersized.
The first thing most producers attempt to correct this is to increase the temperature in their heater treater. However, if they are not using a heater treater, it may be difficult achieve low BS&W levels. Heater treaters are the most efficient equipment for separating high viscosity oils and BS&W.
To speak with an expert about your BS&W levels, contact your local Kimray store or authorized distributor.
