The Purpose Of Gunbarrel Tanks

It's All About Free Water

Wash tank or, as it is more commonly called, a gun barrel–is a settling tank fitted with an internal or external boot, or flume. Although gun barrels are not employed to the extent now that they once were, many are still used to break emulsions.

In a gun barrel, oil and water are separated in a two-part action: (1) washing, and (2) settling. The washing is done in the free-water layer, and the settling occurs in the emulsion layer. Because all emulsions are not alike, the amount of free water that should be held in a gun barrel must be established for each lease. For instance, if washing has little or no effect on a certain emulsion, then only a small amount of free water is maintained in the gun barrel’s tank. Conversely, if an emulsion completely breaks down by washing, then a large amount of free water is kept in the tank.

Gunbarrel tanks are an excellent choice for Tank Batteries when atmospheric pressure, gravitational force, and retention time are sufficient for the adequate separation of oil, water, and gas. Our standard design Gunbarrel tanks come with flume pipe assembly, spreader table, waterleg outlet with tie down brackets, API 5L threaded couplings (4” standard) and bolt-on gas chamber (flume pipe cap). We can provide our standard design Gunbarrel tank or we can customize our standard design to match your specific requirements.