EXTRACTION OF HYDROCARBONS FROM HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING MATERIALS AND/OR PROCESSING OF HYDROCARBON-CONTAINING MATERIALS

• US 20130240206A1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Green Source Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Green Source Energy, LLC
• Inventors: FAN, Liang-tseng, SHAFIE, Shahram Reza, TOLLAS, Julius Michael, LEE, William Arthur Fitzhugh
• Granted Patent: US 8,685,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/267
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/54 Compositions for in situ inhibition of corrosion in boreholes or wells
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/58 Compositions for enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons, i.e. for improving the mobility of the oil, e.g. displacing fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/64 Oil-based compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 1/04 by extraction
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 21/27 Organic compounds not provided for in a single one of groups C10G21/14 - C10G21/26
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/16 Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy

Abstract

A method of extracting hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a hydrocarbon-containing material includes the steps of providing a first liquid comprising a turpentine liquid; contacting the hydrocarbon-containing material with the turpentine liquid to form an extraction mixture; extracting the hydrocarbon material into the turpentine liquid; and separating the extracted hydrocarbon material from a residual material not extracted.

Claims

1. A method for increasing recovery of hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a production well coupled to a hydrocarbon-containing sub-surface formation, the subsurface formation comprising hydrocarbon-containing material, the method comprising the steps of extracting the hydrocarbon-containing organic matter by a process comprising:

providing an injection well, said injection being in fluid communication with the sub-surface formation;

providing a substantially surfactant-free first liquid comprising a non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting liquid comprising a turpentine liquid;

injecting the hydrocarbon-extracting liquid through the injection well and into the formation, wherein the hydrocarbon-extracting liquid and the hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from the hydrocarbon containing sub-surface formation form an extraction mixture comprising at least a portion of the extraction mixture hydrocarbon-containing organic matter in at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-extracting liquid;

recovering the extraction mixture from the formation through the production well; and

separating the extraction mixture to produce a hydrocarbon product stream and a hydrocarbon-extracting liquid stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said turpentine liquid is selected from the group consisting of natural turpentine, synthetic turpentine, mineral turpentine, pine oil, α

-pinene, β

-pinene, α

-terpineol, β

-terpineol, γ

-terpineol, terpene resins, α

-terpene, β

-terpene, γ

-terpene, geraniol, 3-carene, dipentene(p-mentha-1,8-diene), nopol, pinane, 2-pinane hydroperoxide, terpin hydrate, 2-pinanol, dihydromycenol, isoborneol, p-menthan-8-ol, α

-terpinyl acetate, citronellol, p-menthan-8-yl acetate, 7-hydroxydihydrocitronellal, menthol, anethole, camphene;

p-cymene, anisaldeyde, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene, isobornyl acetate, ocimene, alloocimene, alloocimene alcohols, 2-methoxy-2,6-dimethyl-7,8-epoxyoctane, camphor, citral, 7-methoxydihydro-citronellal, 10-camphorsulphonic acid, cintronellal, menthone, and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said contacting comprises mixing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the turpentine liquid comprises at least about 30% by volume α

-terpineol and at least about 15% β

-terpineol.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the turpentine liquid comprises at least about 50% by volume α

-terpineol and at least about 20% by volume β

-terpineol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the turpentine further comprises at least one of α

-terpene, β

-terpene or γ

-terpene.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the turpentine liquid comprises α

-terpineol and β

-terpineol, wherein the ratio of α

-terpineol to β

-terpineol is at least about 1.3;

1.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the turpentine liquid comprises α

-terpineol and β

-terpineol, wherein the ratio of α

-terpineol to β

-terpineol is at least about 2;

1.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the turpentine liquid consists essentially of a mixture of α

-terpineol, β

-terpineol, α

-terpene, and β

-terpene.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the turpentine liquid consists essentially of a mixture of α

-terpineol, and β

-terpineol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first liquid consists essentially of a mixture of α

-terpineol, β

-terpineol, α

-terpene, and β

-terpene.

12. A method for increasing flowability of viscous or immobile hydrocarbon-containing materials comprising contacting a hydrocarbon-containing material with a non-aqueous turpentine liquid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said contacting decreases the viscosity of the hydrocarbon-containing material.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said contacting takes place in situ or ex situ.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said contacting is performed at an extraction site, at a site adjacent to said extraction site, or at a downstream facility distant from said extraction site.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said non-aqueous turpentine liquid is selected from the group consisting of natural turpentine, synthetic turpentine, mineral turpentine, pine oil, α

-pinene, β

-pinene, α

-terpineol, β

-terpineol, γ

-terpineol, terpene resins, α

-terpene, β

-terpene, γ

-terpene, geraniol, 3-carene, dipentene(p-mentha-1,8-diene), nopol, pinane, 2-pinane hydroperoxide, terpin hydrate, 2-pinanol, dihydromycenol, isoborneol, p-menthan-8-ol, α

-terpinyl acetate, citronellol, p-menthan-8-yl acetate, 7-hydroxydihydrocitronellal, menthol, anethole, camphene;

p-cymene, anisaldeyde, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene, isobornyl acetate, ocimene, alloocimene, alloocimene alcohols, 2-methoxy-2,6-dimethyl-7,8-epoxyoctane, camphor, citral, 7-methoxydihydro-citronellal, 10-camphorsulphonic acid, cintronellal, menthone, and mixtures thereof.

17. A method of modifying sulfur compounds in a sulfur-containing hydrocarbon-containing material from a natural geological formation comprising the steps of:

providing a substantially surfactant-free first liquid comprising a non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting liquid consisting essentially of a turpentine liquid selected from the group consisting of natural turpentine, synthetic turpentine, mineral turpentine, pine oil, α

-pinene, β

-pinene, α

-terpineol, β

-terpineol, γ

-terpineol, terpene resins, α

-terpene, β

-terpene, γ

-terpene, geraniol, 3-carene, dipentene(p-mentha-1,8-diene), nopol, pinane, 2-pinane hydroperoxide, terpin hydrate, 2-pinanol, dihydromycenol, isoborneol, p-menthan-8-ol, α

-terpinyl acetate, citronellol, p-menthan-8-yl acetate, 7-hydroxydihydrocitronellal, menthol, anethole, camphene;

p-cymene, anisaldeyde, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene, isobornyl acetate, ocimene, alloocimene, alloocimene alcohols, 2-methoxy-2,6-dimethyl-7,8-epoxyoctane, camphor, citral, 7-methoxydihydro-citronellal, 10-camphorsulphonic acid, cintronellal, menthone, and mixtures thereof, and

contacting the hydrocarbon-containing material with said hydrocarbon-extracting liquid so as to interact with sulfur in said hydrocarbon-containing material and thereby modify said hydrocarbon-containing material;

wherein said sulfur-containing hydrocarbon-containing material is selected from the group consisting of natural gas, petroleum gas, crude oil, tar sands, oil shale, and coal.

18. A composition consisting essentially of a hydrocarbon-extracting effective amount of α

-terpineol, β

-terpineol, β

-pinene, p-cymene, or a combination thereof.

19. The composition of claim 18, wherein said composition consists essentially of:

about 40-60% α

-terpineol,

about 30-40% β

-terpineol,

about 5-20% β

-pinene, and

about 0-10% p-cymene.

20. The composition of claim 19, wherein said composition contains about 5% p-cymene.

21. The composition of claim 18, wherein said composition consists essentially of about 40-60% α

-terpineol,

about 30-40% α

-pinene,

about 5-20% β

-pinene, and

about 0-10% p-cymene.

22. The composition of claim 21, wherein said composition contains about 5% p-cymene.