1. n. [Production Facilities]

A vessel used to treat oil-water emulsions so the oil can be accepted by the pipeline or transport. A treater can use several mechanisms. These include heat, gravity segregation, chemical additives and electric current to break emulsions. There are vertical and horizontal treaters. The main difference between them is the residence time, which is shorter in the vertical configuration compared with the horizontal one. A treater can be called a heater treater or an emulsion treater.

See related terms: demulsifier,  heater,  heater treater