Method to improve the efficiency of pipeline transportation of heavy oils
AssigneeSaudi Arabian Oil Company
InventorsRobert Peter Hodgkins, Omer Refa Koseoglu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disulfide oil (DSO) compounds recovered as a by-product of the mercaptan oxidation of a hydrocarbon refinery feedstock and their oxidized derivatives, oxidized disulfide oils (ODSO) are effective as a diluent to lower the viscosity and thereby improve the pipeline transportation properties of heavy oils, and particularly of wellhead crude oil. The use of the DSO and/or ODSO compounds as diluents converts an otherwise extremely low value or waste oil product into a valuable commodity that has utility in improving the transportation properties of heavy oils, particularly in oil field pipeline applications.
Claims20
A process for reducing the viscosity of a heavy oil feedstream comprising mixing the heavy oil feedstream in at least one mixing zone with a predetermined amount of a liquid hydrocarbon diluent to produce a heavy oil-diluent blend that has a lower density and a lower viscosity than that of the heavy oil feedstream,
- wherein the liquid hydrocarbon diluent is one or more oxidized disulfide oil compounds having the general formula:
- OxR′SSR
- where x is an integer in the range of from 1 to 4, R and R′ are straight, branched or cyclic hydrocarbons having 1, 2, 3 and up to 10 or more carbon atoms that are saturated or unsaturated, and where R and R′ can be the same or different.
A process for reducing the viscosity of a heavy oil feedstream for transportation in an oil pipeline, the process comprising:
- a. mixing the heavy oil feedstream with a predetermined amount of a fresh liquid hydrocarbon diluent in a mixing zone at a first location to produce a heavy oil-diluent blend that has a lower density and a lower viscosity than the heavy oil feedstream alone,
- wherein the fresh diluent stream comprises one or more DSO compounds, one or more ODSO compounds, or their combination, where the DSO and ODSO compounds are derived from the mercaptan oxidation of a refinery feedstream;
- b. recovering the heavy oil-diluent blend from the mixing zone as a product stream at the first location;
- c. introducing the recovered heavy oil-diluent blend product stream into a first transportation pipeline for transportation to a second location.
A process for reducing the viscosity of a heavy oil feedstream comprising mixing the heavy oil feedstream in at least one mixing zone with a predetermined amount of a liquid hydrocarbon diluent to produce a heavy oil-diluent blend that has a lower density and a lower viscosity than that of the heavy oil feedstream,
- wherein the liquid hydrocarbon diluent is one or more oxidized disulfide oil compounds having the general formula:
- OxRSSOH,
- where x is 2, 3, or 4 and R can be straight, branched or cyclic hydrocarbons having 1, 2, 3 and up to 10 or more carbon atoms that are saturated or unsaturated.
A process for reducing the viscosity of a heavy oil feedstream comprising mixing the heavy oil feedstream in at least one mixing zone with a predetermined amount of a liquid hydrocarbon diluent selected from the group consisting of:
- one or more DSO compounds, one or more ODSO compounds, or a combination thereof to produce a heavy oil-diluent blend that has a lower density and a lower viscosity than that of the heavy oil feedstream,
- wherein the heavy oil-diluent blend is passed from the at least one mixing zone to a transportation pipeline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.