PROCESS TO UPGRADE WHOLE CRUDE OIL BY HOT PRESSURIZED WATER AND RECOVERY FLUID
First Claim
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1. A process for upgrading whole crude oil, the process comprising the steps of:
- injecting into an injection well a pressurized recovery fluid at a pressure exceeding the recovery fluid'"'"'s minimum miscibility pressure such that the recovery fluid is operable to sweep an underground formation to enhance recovery of whole crude oil from a production well, the recovery fluid being intimately mixed with the whole crude oil upon recovery from the production well to create a high pressure stream, wherein the whole crude oil comprises a light fraction and a heavy fraction;
depressurizing the high pressure stream under conditions to maintain miscibility of a small portion of the recovery fluid within the heavy fraction, and separating the heavy fraction from the high pressure stream to form a light crude oil stream and a heavy fraction stream, the light crude oil stream containing a significant portion of the recovery fluid;
separating the recovery fluid from the light crude oil stream to form a light fraction stream;
reforming the heavy fraction stream into a reformed heavy fraction by contacting the heavy fraction stream with a water feed stream under supercritical conditions, wherein the reformed heavy fraction has reduced amounts of heavy fraction, asphaltene, sulfur, nitrogen or metal containing substances as compared to the whole crude oil.
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Abstract
A process for upgrading whole crude oil utilizing a recovery fluid, depressurizing an extracted whole crude oil/recovery fluid mixture in a step-wise fashion, and subsequently contacting at least a portion of the whole crude oil with supercritical water fluid to produce high value crude oil having low sulfur, low nitrogen, and low metallic impurities for use as hydrocarbon feedstock.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A process for upgrading whole crude oil, the process comprising the steps of:
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injecting into an injection well a pressurized recovery fluid at a pressure exceeding the recovery fluid'"'"'s minimum miscibility pressure such that the recovery fluid is operable to sweep an underground formation to enhance recovery of whole crude oil from a production well, the recovery fluid being intimately mixed with the whole crude oil upon recovery from the production well to create a high pressure stream, wherein the whole crude oil comprises a light fraction and a heavy fraction; depressurizing the high pressure stream under conditions to maintain miscibility of a small portion of the recovery fluid within the heavy fraction, and separating the heavy fraction from the high pressure stream to form a light crude oil stream and a heavy fraction stream, the light crude oil stream containing a significant portion of the recovery fluid; separating the recovery fluid from the light crude oil stream to form a light fraction stream; reforming the heavy fraction stream into a reformed heavy fraction by contacting the heavy fraction stream with a water feed stream under supercritical conditions, wherein the reformed heavy fraction has reduced amounts of heavy fraction, asphaltene, sulfur, nitrogen or metal containing substances as compared to the whole crude oil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for upgrading whole crude oil, the apparatus comprising:
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an injection well in fluid communication with an underground formation, the injection well operable to receive a pressurized recovery fluid and introduce the pressurized recovery fluid into the underground formation wherein the pressurized recovery fluid intimately mixes with whole crude oil within the underground formation forming a high pressure stream, the high pressure stream comprising the recovery fluid and whole crude oil, wherein the whole crude oil comprises a light fraction and a heavy fraction; a production well in fluid communication with the underground formation, the production well operable to produce the high pressure stream from the underground formation; a fractionating device in fluid communication with the production well, wherein the fractionating device is operable to depressurize the high pressure stream in a step-wise manner such that the heavy fraction is separated from the high pressure stream to form a light crude oil stream and a heavy fraction stream, wherein a small portion of the recovery fluid maintains miscibility within the heavy fraction, and wherein the light crude oil stream contains a significant portion of the recovery fluid; and a hydrothermal reforming facility operable to reform the heavy fraction stream into a reformed heavy fraction by contacting the heavy fraction stream with a water feed stream under supercritical conditions, wherein the reformed heavy fraction has reduced amounts of heavy fraction, asphaltene, sulfur, nitrogen or metal containing substances as compared to the whole crude oil. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification