Cryogenic treatment of gas

• US 8,146,661 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Bravo, Jose Luis, Harvey, Albert Destrehan III, Vinegar, Harold J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Zakiya W
• Application Number:
  US12/250,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20090200022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/265
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/04 having provision for tap-changing without interrupting the load current
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type

Abstract

Systems and methods of treating a gas stream are described. A method of treating a gas stream includes cryogenically separating a first gas stream to form a second gas stream and a third stream. The third stream is cryogenically contacted with a carbon dioxide stream to form a fourth and fifth stream. A majority of the second gas stream includes methane and/or molecular hydrogen. A majority of the third stream includes one or more carbon oxides, hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2, one or more sulfur compounds, or mixtures thereof. A majority of the fourth stream includes one or more of the carbon oxides and hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2. A majority of the fifth stream includes hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3 and one or more of the sulfur compounds.

Claims

1. A method of treating a gas stream, comprising:

in a first cryogenic zone, cryogenically separating a first gas stream to form a second gas stream and a third stream, wherein a majority of the second gas stream comprises methane and/or molecular hydrogen and a majority of the third stream comprises one or more carbon oxides, hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2, one or more sulfur compounds, or mixtures thereof; and

in a second cryogenic zone, cryogenically contacting the third stream with a carbon dioxide stream to form a fourth stream and a fifth stream, wherein a majority of the fourth stream comprises one or more of the carbon oxides and hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2, and a majority of the fifth stream comprises hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3 and one or more of the sulfur compounds.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic separation in the first cryogenic zone comprises cryogenic distillation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic separation in the second cryogenic zone comprises cryogenic distillation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic separation in the first and second cryogenic zones comprises cryogenic distillation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide stream is added to the third stream in or before the second cryogenic zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the sulfur compounds comprises hydrogen sulfide, and wherein contacting the third stream with the carbon dioxide stream enhances the separation of the second stream from the third stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sulfur compounds is hydrogen sulfide.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing the first gas stream, prior to cryogenically separating the first gas stream, to produce a stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 5 and the first gas stream.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating formation fluid from a subsurface in situ heat treatment process to form a liquid stream and the first gas stream, wherein the first gas stream comprises one or more carbon oxides, one or more sulfur compounds, hydrocarbons and/or molecular hydrogen.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in a third cryogenic zone, cryogenically contacting the fourth stream with a hydrocarbon recovery stream to form a sixth stream and a seventh stream, a majority of the sixth stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2 and a majority of the seventh stream comprising carbon oxides.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in a third cryogenic zone, cryogenically separating the fifth stream to form a stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and a stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the fifth stream comprising the hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3 to other processing facilities.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in a third cryogenic zone, cryogenically separating the fourth stream to form a sixth stream and a seventh stream, the sixth stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2 and the seventh stream comprising one or more of the carbon oxides;

in a fourth cryogenic zone, cryogenically separating the fifth stream to form a stream comprising hydrogen sulfide and a stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3;

combining the sixth stream having a carbon number of at least 2 with the stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3 to form a combined stream;

in a fifth cryogenic zone, cryogenically separating the combined stream to form a stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number from 2 to 4 and a stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number from 4 to 7; and

providing at least a portion of the hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number ranging from 4 to 7 to the third cryogenic zone.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

supplying an oxidant to a plurality of oxidizers positioned in the subsurface formation;

mixing a portion of the fifth stream with a portion of the oxidant; and

combusting the fifth stream and oxidant mixture to produce heat that heats at least a portion of the subsurface formation.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising cryogenically separating carbon dioxide from the fourth stream, supplying an oxidant to a plurality of oxidizers positioned in the subsurface formation;

and mixing at least a portion of the produced carbon dioxide with the oxidant.

16. A system for treating a gas stream, comprising:

a first cryogenic separation zone configured to receive a first gas stream and to cryogenically distill the first gas stream into a second gas stream and a third stream, wherein the second gas stream comprises methane and/or molecular hydrogen, and the third stream comprises one or more carbon oxides, hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2, and one or more sulfur compounds; and

a second cryogenic separation zone configured to receive the third stream and carbon dioxide, wherein the second cryogenic separation zone is configured to cryogenically distill the third stream into a fourth stream and a fifth stream, wherein a majority of the fourth stream comprises one or more of the carbon oxides and hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2, and a majority of the fifth stream comprises hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3 and one or more of the sulfur compounds.

17. A method of treating a formation fluid, comprising:

separating formation fluid from a subsurface in situ heat treatment process to form a liquid stream and a first gas stream, wherein the first gas stream comprises one or more carbon oxides, one or more sulfur compounds, hydrocarbons, and/or molecular hydrogen;

in a first cryogenic zone, cryogenically distilling the first gas stream to form a second gas stream and a third stream, wherein a majority of the second gas stream comprises methane and/or molecular hydrogen, and the third stream comprises hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2, one or more sulfur compounds, one or more carbon oxides or mixtures thereof; and

in a second cryogenic zone, cryogenically distilling the third stream to form a fourth stream and a fifth stream, wherein a majority of the fourth stream comprises one or more carbon oxides and hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at most 2, and a majority of the fifth stream comprises hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3 and/or one or more sulfur compounds.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising separating the fifth stream to form a stream comprising one or more sulfur compounds and a stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 3.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the fourth stream further comprises hydrogen sulfide.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the fourth stream further comprises hydrogen sulfide and the method comprises:

in a third cryogenic zone, cryogenically contacting at least a portion of the fourth stream with a hydrocarbons stream comprising hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 4 to form a sixth stream and a seventh stream, wherein a majority of the sixth stream comprises hydrogen sulfide and a majority of the seventh stream comprises hydrocarbons having a carbon number of at least 2.