Processing of oil by steam addition
AssigneePhillips 66 Company
InventorsKeith H. Lawson, Derek H. Willman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to injecting steam into crude oil for several benefits, primarily of which is to remove salt by transferring the salt into the condensed water from the steam. Steam transfers salt via a different transfer mechanism and therefore doesn't require the high shear mixing of conventional water injection systems. As such, steam injection through a variety of procedures, is more efficient at gathering salt into water that itself is easier to remove from the crude oil.
Claims16
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 small droplets of brine water suspended in the crude oil, or both, wherein the process comprises the steps of:
- a) delivering the crude oil into a steam-crude mixing zone:
- b) injecting steam into the crude oil in the steam-crude mixing zone to form steam bubbles within the crude oil in the steam-crude mixing zone, where the steam bubbles are larger relative to any of the particles of crystalline salt or relative to any of the droplets of brine water in the crude oil in the steam-crude mixing zone so as to contact the steam bubbles with the crude oil along with any nearby suspended salt particles and brine droplets, wherein the crude oil flows through the steam-crude mixing zone in a defined direction of flow and the steam is injected into the crude oil against the direction of flow;
- c) condensing the steam bubbles while in the crude oil into droplets of liquid water while at the same time dissolving available salt particles within the steam-crude mixing zone thereby forming new brine water droplets and also delivering liquid or vaporous water from the steam bubbles into any available small brine droplets resulting in new brine droplets and/or enlarged brine droplets having a size more amenable for separation from the crude oil;
- and
- d) separating liquid water from the crude oil including water with salt dissolved therein, wherein the process does not include imposing high shear mixing of the uncondensed steam bubbles in the crude oil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.