# US 10,308,882 B1 · Processing of oil by steam addition

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- Number: US 10,308,882 B1
- Document ID: US10308882B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/819,501
- Filed: 2017-11-21
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-21
- Assignees: Phillips 66 Company
- Applicants: Phillips 66 Company
- Inventors: Keith H. Lawson; Derek H. Willman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308882B1

## CPC

- C10G 33/06: with mechanical means, e.g. by filtration
- B01D 17/041: {with moving devices}
- B01D 17/045: {with coalescers}
- C10G 31/06: by heating, cooling, or pressure treatment
- C10G 31/08: by treating with water
- C10G 33/04: with chemical means
- C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids
- C10G 2300/208: Sediments, e.g. bottom sediment and water or BSW
- C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)

## Abstract

The invention relates to injecting steam into crude oil in two separate desalting steps to remove salt by transferring the salt into the condensed water from the steam and gravity separating the water from the crude oil. Steam transfers salt from crude oil via a different transfer mechanism. In the invention, salt is also removed via an intermediate step of adding water with harshly mixing the added water with the crude oil between the gravity separation of the first steam desalting step and before steam is added in the second step.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for removing salt from crude oil wherein the salt is in the form of particles of crystalline salt suspended in the crude oil or as droplets of brine water suspended in the crude oil, or both, wherein the process comprises the steps of:
a) injecting a first stream of steam into the crude oil in the form of steam bubbles that are larger relative to any salt particles or relative to the any droplets of brine water so as to create steam bubbles that will have contact with the crude oil along with any nearby suspended salt particles and brine droplets, such that a single steam bubble may contact a plurality of salt particles and brine droplets;
b) condensing the steam bubbles into droplets of liquid water while at the same time dissolving available salt particles forming new brine water droplets and also delivering liquid or vaporous water from the steam bubbles into any available brine droplets resulting in enlarged brine droplets having a size more amenable for separation from the crude oil;
c) separating liquid water from the crude oil including water with dissolved salt therein to thereby remove the salt and water from the crude oil and thereby form a first pass desalted crude oil;
d) injecting liquid water into the first pass desalted crude oil;
e) imposing high shear mixing on the injected water and first pass desalted crude oil to break up the injected water into smaller droplets of water and, at the same time, enhance contact of the smaller droplets of water with remaining salt particles and remaining brine droplets to enhance dissolving of salt particles and also coalesce droplets of water whether brine droplets or droplets of injected water;
f) injecting a second stream of steam into the first pass desalted crude oil in the form of steam bubbles that are larger relative to any salt particles or relative to the any droplets of brine water so as to create steam bubbles that will have contact with the first pass desalted crude oil along with any nearby remaining suspended salt particles and remaining water droplets including any remaining brine droplets, such that a single steam bubble may contact a plurality of salt particles and brine droplets;
g) condensing the steam bubbles into droplets of liquid water while at the same time dissolving any remaining and available salt particles forming new brine droplets and also delivering liquid or vaporous water from the steam bubbles into any remaining and available brine droplets resulting in enlarged brine droplets having a size more amenable for separation from the crude oil; and
h) separating liquid water from the first pass desalted crude oil with any dissolved salt therein to thereby remove salt and water from the first pass desalted crude, wherein the overall process is more particularly characterized in that it does not include imposing high shear mixing of uncondensed steam bubbles within the crude oil.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 1 wherein the steps for separating the liquid water from the crude oil include subjecting the crude oil to low shear coalescer mixing followed by gravity separation of the water droplets from the crude oil.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 2 further including the step of adding demulsifier into the crude oil prior to the first step of separating the liquid water from the crude oil.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 3 wherein the steps of injecting steam further include injecting the steam into a vertically oriented chamber where the crude oil and steam flow vertically as the steam bubbles condense.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 4 wherein the vertical flow in the chamber is downward.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 4 wherein the vertical flow in the chamber is upward.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 2 wherein the steps of injecting steam further include injecting the steam into a vertically oriented chamber where the crude oil and steam flow vertically as the steam bubbles condense.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 7 wherein the vertical flow in the chamber is downward.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 7 wherein the vertical flow in the chamber is upward.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 1 wherein the steps of injecting steam further include injecting the steam into a vertically oriented chamber where the crude oil and steam flow vertically as the steam bubbles condense.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 10 wherein the vertical flow in the chamber is downward.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 10 wherein the vertical flow in the chamber is upward.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process for removing salt from crude oil according to claim 1 further including the step of adding demulsifier into the crude oil prior to the first step of separating the liquid water from the crude oil.