Emulsions are formed due to turbulence in the production. Fracturing and acidizing process also cause heavy emulsion problems. Crude oil is almost always produced as a water-in-oil emulsion. Naturally occurring emulsifiers prevent droplets of the dispersed phase (usually water in an oilfield emulsion) from coalescing into a continuous phase. Some emulsions will break on standing, while others are quite stable and will remain as an emulsion indefinitely.