# US 11,898,106 B2 · Oil-wetting chemicals for solids retention > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,898,106 B2 - Document ID: US11898106B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/825,974 - Filed: 2022-05-26 - Published: 2023-11-30 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-05-26 - Assignees: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC - Applicants: Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC - Inventors: Brandon Vittur; Carl E. Weaver; Tran M. Nguyen; Lirio Quintero; Leonardo Franca; Jerry J. Weers; Joseph Arensdorf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11898106B2 ## CPC - C10G 33/04: with chemical means - C10G 29/20: Organic compounds not containing metal atoms - C10G 29/28: containing sulfur as the only hetero atom, e.g. mercaptans, or sulfur and oxygen as the only hetero atoms - C10G 33/02: with electrical or magnetic means - C10G 33/08: Controlling or regulating - C10G 75/04: by addition of antifouling agents - C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids - C10G 2300/206: Asphaltenes - 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 ## Abstract It has been discovered that solid contaminants in a mixture of a hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase may be retained in the hydrocarbon phase by introducing to the mixture an effective amount of an oil-wetting additive to retain at least a portion of the solid contaminants in the hydrocarbon phase as contrasted with an aqueous phase. The oil-wetting additive can be a surface-active additive including, but is not necessarily limited to, drilling fluid additives, surfactants, antifoulants, nanoparticles and combinations thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of retaining solid contaminants in a hydrocarbon phase comprising: adding to a mixture of the hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase, where the mixture comprises solid contaminants, an additive composition comprising an effective amount of an oil-wetting additive to retain at least a portion of the solid contaminants in the hydrocarbon phase as contrasted with the aqueous phase, where the oil-wetting additive comprises a surface-active additive selected from the group consisting of drilling fluid additives, surfactants, antifoulants, and combinations thereof, wherein the additive composition further comprises a demulsifier comprising a nonylphenol resin oxyalkylate blended with an aromatic solvent and an oxyalkylated alkyl phenol resin selected from the group consisting of p-t-amylphenol resin oxyalkylate and p-t-butylphenol resin oxyalkylate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where at least 95 wt % of the solid contaminants are retained in the hydrocarbon phase. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the effective amount of the oil-wetting additive ranges from about 5 ppm to about 500 ppm, based on the mixture. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the oil-wetting additive comprises a surface-active additive selected from the group consisting of: a drilling fluid additive selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfonate surfactants and blends of an alkyl sulfonate surfactant, propylene glycol, and an alcohol; a surfactant selected from the group consisting of surfactants having a hydrophobic-lipophilic balance between about 3 and about 6; and an antifoulant selected from the group consisting of polyalkylsuccinimides, mixtures of the reaction product of an olefin with an anhydride and a peroxide and a polyolefin amide alkeneamine, a reaction product of a polyolefin phenol with an amine, a fatty acid, and formaldehyde; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the solid contaminant is selected from the group consisting of metals, salts, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the method is a refinery desalting process for crude oil and the method further comprises: adding to a crude oil containing solid contaminants an effective amount of the oil-wetting additive to retain solid contaminants in the hydrocarbon phase as contrasted with the aqueous phase; mixing wash water with the crude oil to create an emulsion; and resolving the emulsion into the hydrocarbon phase and the aqueous phase in a refinery desalting process using electrostatic coalescence, where at least a portion of the solid contaminants are retained in the hydrocarbon phase. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the solid contaminants comprise asphaltenes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 where the mixture of the hydrocarbon phase and the aqueous phase is an oilfield stream and the solid contaminant comprises a solid corrosive component selected from the group consisting of inorganic acids, organic acids, salts, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 9 A treated mixture comprising: a hydrocarbon phase; an aqueous phase; solid contaminants; and an additive composition comprising an effective amount of an oil-wetting additive to retain solid contaminants in the hydrocarbon phase as contrasted with the aqueous phase, where the oil-wetting additive comprises a surface-active additive selected from the group consisting of drilling fluid additives, surfactants, antifoulants, and combinations thereof, and a demulsifier comprising a nonylphenol resin oxyalkylate blended with an aromatic solvent and an oxyalkylated alkyl phenol resin selected from the group consisting of p-t-amylphenol resin oxyalkylate and p-t-butylphenol resin oxyalkylate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where at least 95 wt % of the solid contaminants are retained in the hydrocarbon phase. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where the effective amount of the oil-wetting additive ranges from about 5 ppm to about 500 ppm, based on the treated mixture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where the oil-wetting additive comprises a surface-active additive selected from the group consisting of: a drilling fluid additive selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfonate surfactants and blends of an alkyl sulfonate surfactant, propylene glycol, and an alcohol; a surfactant selected from the group consisting of surfactants having a hydrophobic-lipophilic balance between about 3 and about 6; and an antifoulant selected from the group consisting of polyalkylsuccinimides, mixtures of the reaction product of an olefin with an anhydride and a peroxide and a polyolefin amide alkeneamine, a reaction product of a polyolefin phenol with an amine, a fatty acid, and formaldehyde; and combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where the solid contaminant is selected from the group consisting of metals, salts, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where the hydrocarbon phase further comprises crude oil. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where the solid contaminants comprise asphaltenes. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The treated mixture of claim 9 where the mixture of the hydrocarbon phase and the aqueous phase is an oilfield stream and the solid contaminant comprises a corrosive component selected from the group consisting of inorganic acids, organic acids, salts, and combinations thereof.