Process for recovering oil from tar-oil froths and other heavy oil-water emulsions

Abstract

Abstract TAR-OIL FROTHS AND OTHER HEAVY OIL-WATER EMULSIONS ARE DEMULSIFIED BY THE ADDITION OF A PROPANE-BUTANE SOLVENT AT OR ABOVE THE CONDENSATION PRESSURE THEREOF, AND AT TEMPERATURES IN A RANGE OF 170* TO 240*F., THE PROPORTIONS USED RANGING FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO 10 VOLUMES OF THE SOLVENT PER VOLUME OF OIL CONTAINED IN THE FEED EMULSION. THE COALESCED WATER PHASE AND ONE OR MORE OIL PHASES, ALONG WITH SAND PARTICLES, ARE THEREAFTER SEPARATED AND RECOVERED. WHEN USING ABOUT 3.5 TO 10 VOLUMES OF THE SOLVENT PER VOLUME OF OIL, THE EMULSION MAY BE BROKEN AND SEPARATED INTO A WATER PHASE AND INTO RAFFINATE OIL AND ASPHALTIC FRACTIONS OF CONTROLLABLE QUANTITLY AND PURITY. WHEN USING 0.5 TO 2 VOLUMES OF THE SOLVENT PER VOLUME OF OIL, THE OIL IS DEHYDRATED BUT NOT DEASPHALTED. THE SEVERAL DEMULSIFICATION AND PRODUCT SEPARATION STEPS CAN BE PRACTICED IN A PRESSURE COLUMN WHICH IS PROVIDED NEAR ITS TOP WITH AN INCLINED FEED-DISTRIBUTION TRAY PIERCED BY CYLINDRICAL RISER UNITS AND SLOTTED TO ALLOW THROUGHFLOW DOWNWARD. SAND PARTICLES PRESENT IN THE FEED, ALONG WITH WATER AND OPTIONALLY ASPHALT, PASS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE TRAY FOR DIS-CAHRGE INTO ONE OR MORE GRAVITYSETTLING CHAMBERS, WHILE THE REMAINING OIL COMPONENTS OF THE EMULSION ARE CARRIED UPWARDLY EITHER FOR DISCHARGE FROM THE COLUMN OR FOR RETURN TO A LOWER PORTION THEREOF FOR SECOND-STAGE GRAVITY-SETTLING OR FOR DEASPHALTING.

Inventors

• 👤 Theodore Vermeulen
• 👤 Michael John Keaton

Bibliographic Details