Liquid crude hydrocarbon composition

• US 20130048079A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chevron Oronite Company LLC (Chevron Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Chevron Oronite Company LLC (Chevron Corp.)
• Inventors: Ovalles, Cesar, Segerstrom, John, Rogel, Estrella, Campbell, Curtis B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,255,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 7/20 Use of additives, e.g. for stabilisation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/308 Gravity, density, e.g. API
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/14 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/143 mixtures of organic macromolecular compounds with organic non-macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1608 Well defined compounds, e.g. hexane, benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1616 fractions, e.g. lubricants, solvents, naphta, bitumen, tars, terpentine
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/189 having at least one carboxyl group bound to an aromatic carbon atom C10L1/1802, C10L1/1805, C10L1/1808, C10L1/1811, C10L1/1814, C10L1/1817, C10L1/1885, C10L1/1886, C10L1/1888 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/198 obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds homo- or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon to carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an acyloxy radical of a saturated carboxylic acid, of carbonic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/2437 Sulfonic acids; Derivatives thereof, e.g. sulfonamides, sulfosuccinic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2200/0453 Petroleum or natural waxes, e.g. paraffin waxes, asphaltenes
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 2230/14 for improving storage or transport of the fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/16 Facilitating the conveyance of liquids or effecting the conveyance of viscous products by modification of their viscosity changing the flow or the viscosity by adding a chemical agent C09K3/00, C10M
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/17 by mixing with another liquid , i.e. diluting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid crude hydrocarbon composition containing (a) a liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20; and (b) a minor amount of a blend comprising (i) one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents having an aromatic content of at least about 10 wt. %; and (ii) one or more asphaltene modifiers selected from the group consisting of an aromatic sulfonic acid or salt thereof, an aliphatic sulfonic acid or salt thereof and an alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid or salt thereof. Also disclosed is a method for transporting a liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20.

Claims

1. A liquid crude hydrocarbon composition comprising:

(a) a liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20; and

(b) a minor amount of a blend comprising (i) one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents having an aromatic content of at least about 10 wt. %; and

(ii) one or more asphaltene modifiers selected from the group consisting of an aromatic sulfonic acid or salt thereof, an aliphatic sulfonic acid or salt thereof and an alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid or salt thereof.

2. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20 comprises a heavy crude oil.

3. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20 comprises an extra heavy crude oil.

4. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20 has a viscosity greater than about 100 cSt and no more than 2,000,000 cSt at 40°

C.

5. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents comprises a solvent having an aromatic content of at least about 20 wt. %.

6. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents comprises an aromatic refinery stream solvent.

7. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more asphaltene modifiers is an alkyl aromatic sulfonic acid in which the alkyl moiety is derived from an alpha olefin having from about 10 to about 80 carbon atoms.

8. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more asphaltene modifiers is an aliphatic sulfonic acid in which the aliphatic group is derived from an isomerized olefin.

9. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more asphaltene modifiers is an alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid in which the alkyl moiety is derived from an alpha olefin having from about 10 to about 80 carbon atoms.

10. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the minor amount of the blend is from about 10 wt. % to about 40 wt. %, based on the total weight of the liquid crude hydrocarbon composition.

11. The liquid crude hydrocarbon composition of claim 1, wherein the minor amount of the blend is from about 15 wt. % to about 35 wt. %, based on the total weight of the liquid crude hydrocarbon composition.

12. A method for transporting a liquid crude hydrocarbon, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20;

(b) providing a blend comprising (i) one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents having an aromatic content of at least about 10 wt. %; and

(ii) one or more asphaltene modifiers selected from the group consisting of an aromatic sulfonic acid or salt thereof, an aliphatic sulfonic acid or salt thereof and an alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid or salt thereof;

(c) mixing a minor amount of the blend with the liquid crude hydrocarbon to obtain a liquid crude hydrocarbon composition; and

(d) transporting the liquid crude hydrocarbon composition to a treatment facility or a transportation carrier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20 comprises a heavy crude oil.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20 comprises an extra heavy crude oil.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon having an API gravity of less than or equal to about 20 has a viscosity greater than about 100 cSt and no more than 2,000,000 cSt at 40°

C.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents comprises a solvent having an aromatic content of at least about 20 weight percent.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more hydrocarbon-containing solvents comprises an aromatic refinery stream solvent.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more asphaltene modifiers is an alkyl aromatic sulfonic acid in which the alkyl moiety is derived from an alpha olefin having from about 10 to about 80 carbon atoms.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more asphaltene modifiers is an aliphatic sulfonic acid in which the aliphatic group is derived from an isomerized olefin.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more asphaltene modifiers is an alkyl-substituted hydroxyaromatic carboxylic acid in which the alkyl moiety is derived from an alpha olefin having from about 10 to about 80 carbon atoms.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the minor amount of the blend is from about 10 wt. % to about 40 wt. %, based on the total weight of the liquid crude hydrocarbon composition.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the minor amount of the blend is from about 15 wt. % to about 35 wt. %, based on the total weight of the liquid crude hydrocarbon composition.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein the liquid crude hydrocarbon composition is transported through a pipeline.