A method for removing water from a fluid hydrocarbon, which comprises:
contacting the a feed stream of the hydrocarbon with a treating agent comprising an aqueous solution of a drying salt having an affinity for water,
subjecting the mixture of hydrocarbon and treating agent to coalescence/separation to coalesce the non-hydrocarbon components of the hydrocarbon/water/treating agent mixture to form larger size coalesced liquid droplets,
separating the coalesced liquid droplets comprising water and dissolved drying salt from the hydrocarbon to form a partly dried hydrocarbon stream and a drying salt solution stream,
contacting the partly dried hydrocarbon product with a solid drying salt having an affinity for water to form a dried hydrocarbon product and a stream of an aqueous solution of the drying salt by dissolution of the drying salt in water contained in the partly dried hydrocarbon stream,
circulating the aqueous solution of the drying salt to contact the feed stream of the hydrocarbon