Transporting hydrocarbon mixtures as a slurry
Abstract
Abstract HYDROCARBON MIXTURES (E.G. CRUDE OIL) HAVING AN AVERGE POUR POINT ABOVE THE AVERAGE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF A TRANSPORTING SYSTEM ARE EFFECTIVELY TRANSPORTED BY FIRST FRACTIONATING THE MIXTURE INTO AT LEAST A RELATIVELY HIGH POUR POINT FRACTION AND A RELATIVELY LOW POUR POINT FRACTION, CONGEALING THE HIGH POUR FRACTION, E.G. BY PRILLING, DISPERSING INTO A WATER BATH, ETC., AND THEREAFTER SLYRRYING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CONGEALED FRACTION WITH THE LOW POUR POINT FRACTION AND TRANSPORTING THE SLURRY, PREFERABLY IN A CONDUIT, AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ABOUT THE CONGEALATION TEMPERATURE OF THE CONGEALED FRACTION. FRACTIONATION IS PREFERABLY EFFECTED BY DISTILLATION. DILUENTS E.G. LOW POUR POINT HYDROCARBONS SUCH AS RESEVOIR CONDENSATES, CAN BE ADMIXED WITH THE SLURRY TO IMPROVE THE PUMPABILITY THEREOF. ALSO, A PORTION, E.G. UP TO 50% BY VOLUME, OF THE OTHERWISE HIGH POUR POINT FRACTION CAN BE CRACKED DURING FRACTIONATION TO IMPROVE THE FLUIDITY IF THE SLURRY.
Inventors
- 👤 D Drayer
- 👤 Vaun S Merrill La
- 👤 W Gogarty
- 👤 Pouskag
Bibliographic Details
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