Every heater treater RBI manufactures does one thing: get oil to pipeline specifications. RBI builds its heater treater line in horizontal and vertical configurations. Sizing, heat duty and internal configuration are engineered to each operator’s volumes, pressures and fluid characteristics, and the optional enclosure and internal options that come standard on RBI’s other production equipment are available on its treater line as well.
Horizontal and Vertical Configurations
RBI’s current heater treater production includes horizontal and vertical treaters. Orientation is one part of a larger spec conversation: throughput, water cut, footprint and pipeline requirements all factor into how a given unit is configured before it goes to fabrication, so the vessel that ships matches the site it is built for rather than a standard catalog offering.
Insulated Enclosure Package for Variable Climates
For operators in harsh or variable climates, RBI offers a custom-engineered insulated enclosure built to protect field operators. The enclosure transforms a standard vessel into a fully protected, worker-accessible production unit designed for year-round operation under any conditions.
Inside the enclosure, the configuration is customer-specific and can include:
- Full LEL (Lower Explosive Limit) monitoring, a permanently installed gas detection system that checks methane levels and alerts personnel before entry, functioning as a fixed-installation equivalent of the personal gas monitors workers wear in the field
- Exhaust fan for ventilation and temperature management
- Catalytic heater for cold-climate operation
- LED lighting system for safe interior visibility
- Panic doors with push-bar hardware for rapid emergency exit
Because the enclosure is fully insulated, the unit can operate in the extreme conditions of basins like the Williston Basin where freeze protection is not optional, while remaining fully functional in warmer months. The package is designed around the most demanding conditions the site will see and everything else that falls within that range.
No two enclosure packages are identical. Every specification, including size, door configuration, hardware and internal systems, is engineered to the customer’s requirements.
Removable Fire Tubes for Field-Level Maintenance
RBI mounts fire tubes on removable flanges. This flange connection allows a fire tube to be pulled for inspection, repair or full replacement without cutting into the vessel or pulling the unit out of service for an extended rebuild. Sizing the fire tube, its flange and its housing to the treater’s burner capacity keeps maintenance to a bolt-on procedure instead of a shop project, and is a specification decision made at the point of fabrication rather than added after the fact.
In-House Fabrication Means In-House Repair
RBI fabricates the fire tubes, flanges and other components that go into every heater treater it builds, and that same fabrication capability supports repair work after the unit is in the field. A worn fire tube or damaged flange can be repaired or fabricated by the same team that engineered the original equipment. Operators working with RBI are working with the same team for the build and for whatever the unit needs after it goes into service.
RBI engineers heater treaters to efficiently get oil to pipeline spec, including horizontal and vertical treaters with enclosure and internal options matched to the heat duty and site conditions each operator specifies. Contact RBI to discuss specifications or request a quote.
