Patent US4627458A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4627458A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
One-step process for transforming a water-in-oil emulsion into an oil-in-water emulsion
Assignee: Nexen Inc
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Filing: 1985-11-27
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Granted: 1986-12-09
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Expires: 2005-11-27
Abstract
Abstract There is provided a process for the formulation of an oil-in-water emulsion from a produced hydrocarbon crude which includes a water-in-oil emulsion. A surface-active chemical system is added with agitation to the crude when such crude is at a temperature of from about 100° to about 200° F., in a quantity sufficient to formulate and then sustain an oil-in-water emulsion at pipeline conditions of temperature and shear. Water-content is from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight. Viscosity is sufficiently low for pipeline transportation. Any excess water is separated from the formed oil-in-water emulsion prior to pipelining. The oil-in-water emulsion is one that can easily be dewatered and desalted to the necessary marketing specifications at the downsteam end of the pipeline, using known technology.
Inventors
- 👤 Rama R. S. Prasad
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 08:35
CPC Classifications
C; C10; C10L; C10L1/00; C10L1/32; C10L1/328; F; F17; F17D; F17D1/00; F17D1/08; F17D1/16; F17D1/17; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/0318; Y10T137/0391
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission which comprises: (a) producing a hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion; (b) adding to said hydrocarbon crude when said crude is at a temperature of from about 100° to about 200° F., an emulsifier system capable of forming and sustaining an oil-in-water emulsion at said temperature and at ambient pipeline transmission temperatures, the amount of emulsifier system added being sufficient to form and sustain an oil-in-water emulsion having a selected water content of from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transmission; (c) agitating the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and the added emulsifier system, to form an oil-in-water emulsion; and (d) separating any excess water from the formed oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission which comprises: (a) producing a hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion; (b) adding to said hydrocarbon crude when said crude is at a temperature of from about 100° to about 200° F., an emulsifier system capable of forming and sustaining an oil-in-water emulsion at said temperature and at ambient pipeline transmission temperatures, the amount of emulsifier system added being sufficient to form and sustain an oil-in-water emulsion having a selected water content of from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transmission; (c) agitating the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and the added emulsifier system, to form an oil-in-water emulsion; and (d) separating any excess water from the formed oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the temperature of the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion, is from about 130° to about 170° F. during formation of the oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the emulsifier system contains at least one emulsifier capable of sustaining the oil-in-water emulsion at the elevated temperature and at least one emulsifier capable of sustaining the formed oil-in-water emulsion at ambient temperatures of pipeline transmission.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the emulsifier system is provided in a concentration of from about 100 to about 5000 ppm by weight of the hydrocarbon crude.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the emulsifier system is provided in a concentration of from about 500 to about 2500 ppm by weight of the hydrocarbon crude.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion, contains less than 15 percent by weight water, and water is added for formation of the oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the hydrocarbon crude contains "bound" and "free" water, and at least a portion of the "free" water is separated from the hydrocarbon crude prior to forming the oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
146 words
A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission which comprises: (a) producing a hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and containing in excess of 35 percent by weight water; (b) elevating the temperature of the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion to a temperature of about 100° to about 200° F., and adding an emulsifier system capable of forming and then sustaining an oil-in-water emulsion at said temperature and at ambient pipeline transmission temperatures, the amount of emulsifier system added being sufficient to form and sustain an oil-in-water emulsion having a selected water content of from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transportation; (c) agitating the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and the added emulsifier system, to form an oil-in-water emulsion; and (d) separating excess water from the formed oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
146 words
A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission which comprises: (a) producing a hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and containing in excess of 35 percent by weight water; (b) elevating the temperature of the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion to a temperature of about 100° to about 200° F., and adding an emulsifier system capable of forming and then sustaining an oil-in-water emulsion at said temperature and at ambient pipeline transmission temperatures, the amount of emulsifier system added being sufficient to form and sustain an oil-in-water emulsion having a selected water content of from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transportation; (c) agitating the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and the added emulsifier system, to form an oil-in-water emulsion; and (d) separating excess water from the formed oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 in which the temperature of the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil is from about 130° to about 170° F. during formation of the oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 in which the emulsifier system contains at least one emulsifier capable of sustaining the oil-in-water emulsion at the temperature of formation and at ambient temperatures of pipeline transmission.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 in which the emulsifier system is provided in a concentration of from about 100 to about 5000 ppm by weight of the hydrocarbon crude.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 in which the emulsifier system is provided in a concentration of from about 500 to about 5000 ppm by weight of the hydrocarbon crude.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in claim 8 in which the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion contains up to 95 percent by weight water.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in claim 10 in which the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion contains up to 95 percent by weight water.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
169 words
A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission which comprises: (a) producing a hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and containing more than 35 percent by weight water in the form of "bound" and "free" water; (b) separating at least a portion of the "free" water from the hydrocarbon crude; (c) elevating the temperature of the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion to a temperature of from about 100° to about 200° F., and adding an emulsifier system capable of forming then sustaining an oil-in-water emulsion at said temperature and at ambient pipeline transmission temperatures, the amount of emulsifier system added being sufficient to form and sustain an oil-in-water emulsion having a selected water content of from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transportation; (d) agitating the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and the added emulsifier system, to form an oil-in-water emulsion; and (e) separating any excess water from the formed water-in-oil emulsion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
169 words
A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission which comprises: (a) producing a hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and containing more than 35 percent by weight water in the form of "bound" and "free" water; (b) separating at least a portion of the "free" water from the hydrocarbon crude; (c) elevating the temperature of the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion to a temperature of from about 100° to about 200° F., and adding an emulsifier system capable of forming then sustaining an oil-in-water emulsion at said temperature and at ambient pipeline transmission temperatures, the amount of emulsifier system added being sufficient to form and sustain an oil-in-water emulsion having a selected water content of from about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transportation; (d) agitating the hydrocarbon crude including a water-in-oil emulsion and the added emulsifier system, to form an oil-in-water emulsion; and (e) separating any excess water from the formed water-in-oil emulsion.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as claimed in claim 15 in which the temperature of the crude is from about 130° to about 170° F. during formation of the oil-in-water emulsion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process as claimed in claim 15 in which the emulsifier system contains at least one emulsifier capable of sustaining the oil-in-water emulsion at the temperature of formation and at least one emulsifier capable of sustaining the formed oil-in-water emulsion at ambient temperatures of pipeline transmission.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-12-08 | 1990-06-09 | 1990-12-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-12-08 | 1994-06-09 | 1994-12-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-12-08 | 1998-06-09 | 1998-12-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |