Treatment of viscous crude oils
First Claim
1. A method for the treatment and transportation of a viscous crude oil produced in the form of an emulsion of fine droplets of formation water in oil, comprising the stages of dehydration, solvent deasphalting, solvent removal and transportation through a pipeline, said dehydration and solvent deasphalting capable of being carried out in a single zone or separate zones, said method comprising:
- (a) adding a deasphalting/dewatering solvent to the emulsion of water in oil upstream of the dehydration and deasphalting stages,(b) separating water from oil in a dehydration stage,(c) withdrawing water from the dehydration stage,(d) precipitating asphalt in a deasphalting stage by contacting the oil with the solvent at a temperature in the range of 40°
C. to 60°
C. and removing asphaltenes from the deasphalting stage,(e) passing oil and solvent from the deasphalting stage to the solvent removal stage, and(f) withdrawing the oil of reduced water and asphaltene content from the solvent removal stage and transporting said oil through a pipeline.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Asphaltenes and/or wax and/or water are removed from crude oil by contacting the crude oil with an organic solvent to dissolve the crude oil and precipitate asphaltenes and/or wax and separate the oil and water. Solvent is then separated from the deasphalted and/or dewaxed and/or dehydrated crude oil.
Removing asphaltenes, wax and/or water reduces the viscosity of the crude oil and it can then be transported, e.g. by pumping through a pipeline, with less expenditure of energy.
48 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for the treatment and transportation of a viscous crude oil produced in the form of an emulsion of fine droplets of formation water in oil, comprising the stages of dehydration, solvent deasphalting, solvent removal and transportation through a pipeline, said dehydration and solvent deasphalting capable of being carried out in a single zone or separate zones, said method comprising:
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(a) adding a deasphalting/dewatering solvent to the emulsion of water in oil upstream of the dehydration and deasphalting stages, (b) separating water from oil in a dehydration stage, (c) withdrawing water from the dehydration stage, (d) precipitating asphalt in a deasphalting stage by contacting the oil with the solvent at a temperature in the range of 40°
C. to 60°
C. and removing asphaltenes from the deasphalting stage,(e) passing oil and solvent from the deasphalting stage to the solvent removal stage, and (f) withdrawing the oil of reduced water and asphaltene content from the solvent removal stage and transporting said oil through a pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for the treatment and transportation of a viscous crude oil produced in the form of an emulsion of fine droplets of formation water in oil, comprising the stages of dehydration, solvent deasphalting, solvent removal and transportation through a pipeline, said method comprising:
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(a) adding a deasphalting/dewatering organic solvent to the emulsion of water in oil upstream of the dehydration stage, (b) separating water from oil in a dehydration stage, (c) withdrawing water from the dehydration stage, (d) passing oil and solvent from the dehydration stage to the deasphalting stage, (e) adding a further quantity of solvent to the oil and solvent between the dehydration and the deasphalting stages, (f) precipitating asphalt in a deasphalting stage by contacting the oil with the solvent at a temperaturee in the range of 40°
-60°
C. and removing asphaltenes from the deasphalting stage,(g) passing the oil and solvent from the deasphalting stage to the solvent removal stage, and (h) withdrawing the treated oil of reduced water and asphaltene content from the solvent removal stage and transporting the oil through a pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification