Method for the microwave treatment of water-in-oil emulsions

Method for the microwave emulsion treatment of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, including a) determining, for an W/O emulsion the optimum conditions of the variables: water content, salt content, pH value of the aqueous phase, initial temperature, microwave application power, final temperature and drop size distribution to be adjusted in the industrial plant, as a function of the features of the tested crude oil such as viscosity, density, asphaltene content, total acidity, such conditions being those required for obtaining at least 90% separation efficiency of the emulsion in the presence of microwave radiation: b) utilizing such information for the initial adjustment of application conditions of the method to phase separation units in refineries and production units; c) perform on line tests of the variables of step a) of the process response in the streams effluent from separation units, being the response the water content and salt content tests, so as to feedback the information to the best adjustment of the process conditions for microwave application; and d) utilizing the on line or laboratory tests of the effect of the method as a tool for monitoring the efficiency of the breaking of the W/O emulsion.