Chemical compositions and methods for remediating hydrogen sulfide and other contaminants in hydrocarbon based liquids and aqueous solutions without the formation of precipitates or scale

• US 10,550,337 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2019
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GAPS Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: GAPS Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Roe, Cliffton Lee, Schweitzer, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Stelling, Lucas A
• Application Number:
  US16/254,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20190322951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/50 by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/66 by neutralisation; pH adjustment for degassing C02F1/20; using ion-exchange C02F1/42; for flocculation or precipitation of suspended impurities C02F1/52; for removing dissolved compounds C02F1/58
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/101 Sulfur compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/10 from quarries or from mining activities
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/18 from the purification of gaseous effluents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/365 from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries)
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 19/02 with aqueous alkaline solutions
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/104 Light gasoline having a boiling range of about 20 - 100 °C
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/207 Acid gases, e.g. H2S, COS, SO2, HCN
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2400/28 Propane and butane
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 29/02 Non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 29/04 Metals, or metals deposited on a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 29/20 Organic compounds not containing metal atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 53/12 including at least one alkaline treatment step

Abstract

A treatment process for remediating a contaminated liquid containing more than 5 ppm hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and substantially without formation of precipitate, includes steps of steps of adding an aqueous solution containing at least one hydroxide compound at a collective concentration of 35-55 wt % to the contaminated liquid to achieve a concentration of 125-5000 ppm of the hydroxide compounds in the contaminated liquid, adding at least one organic acid and to the liquid to achieve a concentration of 0.01-10 ppm in the contaminated liquid, and dispersing the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid in the contaminated liquid and allowing the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid to react with the contaminated liquid for a period of time until a concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated liquid is reduced to ≤5 ppm.

Claims

1. An aqueous based treatment solution for remediating hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and other contaminants in liquids and substantially without formation of precipitate, the treatment solution comprising:

at least one hydroxide compound;

at least one organic acid comprising a fulvic acid; and

water, wherein

a collective concentration of the at least one hydroxide compound in the treatment solution is in a range of 35-55 weight %,

a content of water in the treatment solution is at least 30%, and

a collective concentration of the at least one organic acid in the treatment solution is at least 0.01 weight %.

2. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein the collective concentration of the at least one hydroxide in the solution is 45-55 weight %.

3. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein the treatment solution contains at least two different hydroxide compounds.

4. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein the treatment solution contains sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH).

5. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein the collective concentration of the at least one organic acid in the solution is 0.01-10 weight percent.

6. The treatment solution according to claim 1, further comprising monoethanolamine (MEA) and a concentration of MEA in the treatment solution is at least 0.05% volume.

7. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein a concentration of MEA in the treatment solution is 0.05-2.0% volume.

8. The treatment solution according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a silicate compound and barium as an antibacterial agent.

9. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein the collective concentration of the at least one organic acid in the treatment solution is 0.01-1.0 weight %.

10. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein collectively the at least one hydroxide compound and water constitute at least 95 wt % of the aqueous based treatment solution.

11. The treatment solution according to claim 1, wherein the treatment solution is configured for remediating hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and other contaminants in crude oil and substantially without formation of precipitate.

12. A treatment process for preparing a remediated liquid from a contaminated liquid originally containing more than 5 ppm hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and substantially without forming a precipitate, comprising steps of:

preparing an aqueous solution containing at least one hydroxide compound, in which a collective concentration of the at least on hydroxide compound in the aqueous solution is in a range of 35-55 weight % and a content of water is at least 30 weight %;

adding the aqueous solution to the contaminated liquid at a dosage amount which provides a concentration of the at least one hydroxide compound within a range of 125-5000 ppm in the contaminated liquid;

adding at least one organic acid comprising a fulvic acid to the contaminated liquid at a dosage which provides a concentration of the at organic acid of at least 0.01 ppm in the contaminated liquid; and

dispersing the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid in the contaminated liquid and allowing the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid to react with the contaminated liquid for a period of time until a concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated liquid is reduced to ≤

5 ppm.

13. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein the dosage amount of the aqueous solution added to the contaminated liquid provides a concentration of the at least one hydroxide compound within a range of 500-2500 ppm in the contaminated liquid.

14. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein the at least one organic acid is added at the dosage amount which provides a concentration of the at least one organic acid of 0.1-10 ppm in the contaminated liquid.

15. The treatment process according to claim 12, further comprising the step of adding monoethanolamine (MEA) to the contaminated liquid at a dosage amount which provides a concentration of 0.5-15 ppm MEA in the contaminated liquid.

16. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein the aqueous solution contains at least two different hydroxide compounds.

17. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein the contaminated liquid is a hydrocarbon based liquid.

18. The treatment process according to claim 12, further comprising the step of combining the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid before adding the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid to the contaminated liquid.

19. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein the at least one hydroxide compound in the aqueous solution is selected to achieve a specific freezing temperature for the aqueous solution of 0°

C. or less.

20. The treatment process according to claim 12, the dosage amounts of the aqueous solution and the at least one organic acid added to the contaminated liquid are adjusted based on at least one of the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated liquid, a desired reaction time for reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated liquid to ≤

5 ppm, and a viscosity of the contaminated liquid.

21. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein collectively the at least one hydroxide compound and water constitute at least 95 wt % of the aqueous based treatment solution.

22. The treatment process according to claim 12, wherein the remediated liquid is prepared from contaminated crude oil originally containing more than 5 ppm hydrogen sulfide.