Process for purification by combination of an effluent that contains carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons
First Claim
1. A process for purification of a G/L two-phase effluent containing carbon dioxide and gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons obtained from at least one hydrocarbon production well utilizing an injection of carbon dioxide into a formation, said process comprising:
- a) separating said G/L effluent in at least one main gas-liquid separator (3), to separate C3+ hydrocarbons (5) from a gaseous effluent (10) containing a major portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a minor portion of methane and ethane, b) subjecting said gaseous effluent to pressurized combustion (13) in the presence of oxygen in a combustion reactor, and recovering a combustion effluent (21) containing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrogen, c) cooling (11/22) said combustion effluent (21), d) separating the nitrogen at least in part from the cooled combustion effluent; and
e) recycling the pressurized, cooled combustion effluent into an injection well.
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Accused Products
Abstract
For the purification of an effluent that contains carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons resulting from a carbon dioxide-assisted recovery stage, the effluent is circulated in a gas-liquid separator (3) to recover C3+ liquid and a gas that contains carbon dioxide and, for example, less than 10% of methane and ethane. Pressurized combustion (13) of the gas with air produced a combustion gas (21) enriched with carbon dioxide and water vapor. The combustion gas (21) is cooled (11) (22) to recover heat, and the cooled combustion gas is recycled under pressure by a compressor (27) to an injection well (29). Nitrogen is at least partly separated from the combustion gas before the recycling, and in an optional intermediate step the condensed water is also separated from the carbon dioxide. The invention has a particular application for the assisted recovery of petroleum by CO2 with a reduction of the greenhouse effect.
133 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A process for purification of a G/L two-phase effluent containing carbon dioxide and gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons obtained from at least one hydrocarbon production well utilizing an injection of carbon dioxide into a formation, said process comprising:
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a) separating said G/L effluent in at least one main gas-liquid separator (3), to separate C3+ hydrocarbons (5) from a gaseous effluent (10) containing a major portion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and a minor portion of methane and ethane, b) subjecting said gaseous effluent to pressurized combustion (13) in the presence of oxygen in a combustion reactor, and recovering a combustion effluent (21) containing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrogen, c) cooling (11/22) said combustion effluent (21), d) separating the nitrogen at least in part from the cooled combustion effluent; and
e) recycling the pressurized, cooled combustion effluent into an injection well. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification