Low gravity crude oil and water separator

An apparatus for separating oil and water from an emulsion comprising:

• a horizontal vessel having an emulsion inlet adjacent the first end and an upper oil outlet and a lower water outlet adjacent the second end;
• means of maintaining a level of water of selected depth in the vessel;
• a first vertical baffle in the vessel intermediate the ends;
• a second vertical baffle in the vessel parallel to and spaced from the first baffle in the direction towards the vessel second end, the baffles being arranged so that emulsion flowing from the first towards the second end of the vessel flows vertically between the baffles, the area of the vessel between the first end and the first baffle forming a quiescent zone, and the areas of the vessel between the second baffle and the vessel second end forming a separating zone;
• an electric grid system traversing the areas between said baffles, the grid system including electric grids spaced in horizontal layers and arranged such that emulsion passing between said baffle passes vertically through successive horizontal layers of the grid system;
• means of imparting an electric potential to said grid system whereby an electric field is established through which emulsion flows as it passes from said quiescent zone to said treating zone;
• a plurality of spaced apart paralleled metal separator screens positioned within said vessel treating zone arranged such that fluid flowing through the treating section towards said oil outlet flows through said screens, each separator screen being a planar foraminous reticulum of integrally formed relatively small width and small thickness strands all of which are longitudinally downwardly inclined providing a multiplicity of continuous uninterrupted downwardly inclined paths on which water components may travel towards the bottom of the vessel for discharge out said water outlet.