# US 12,006,481 B1 · Methods of water separation from crude oil > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,006,481 B1 - Document ID: US12006481B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/060,113 - Filed: 2022-11-30 - Published: 2024-05-30 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-30 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Mohamed Ahmed Soliman; Azeb M. Qahtani; Simone Less; Ramsey White - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006481B1 ## CPC - C10G 53/02: plural serial stages only - C10G 33/04: with chemical means - C10G 2300/1033: Oil well production fluids - C10G 2300/4006: Temperature - C10G 2300/4012: Pressure - C10G 2300/4081: Recycling aspects - 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 A method may include producing a crude oil from a reservoir and contacting the crude oil with a demulsifying agent before the crude oil passes through a production choke valve to form a mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent. The mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent may be separated in one or more separators into a gas stream, an oil stream, and a water stream. The gas stream and oil stream may be combined to form an oil and gas mixture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: producing a crude oil from a reservoir; before the crude oil passes through a production choke valve, contacting the crude oil with a demulsifying agent to form a mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent; wherein the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent is at a pressure of about 400 psig to about 500 psig before the choke valve; separating the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent in a high-pressure vessel into a gas stream, an oil stream, and a water stream; and combining the gas stream and oil stream to form an oil and gas mixture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent with one or more additional mixtures of crude oil and demulsifying agent from the reservoir prior to separation in the high-pressure vessel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the high-pressure vessel operates at a temperature of about 150° F. to about 190° F. and comprises an electrostatic coalescer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing the water stream back into the reservoir. ### Claim 5 A method comprising: producing a crude oil from a reservoir; before the crude oil passes through a production choke valve, contacting the crude oil with a demulsifying agent to form a mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent; wherein the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent is at a pressure of about 400 psig to about 500 psig before the choke valve; separating the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent in a separation system into a gas stream, an oil stream, and a water stream, the separation system comprising a first separator and a second separator; and combining the gas stream with the oil stream to form an oil and gas mixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the first separator is a free water separator and the second separator is a high-pressure vessel comprising a coalescer, wherein the free water separator separates into a natural gas stream, a water stream, and a mixture of crude oil and water; and wherein the mixture of crude oil and water is sent to the second separator after leaving the first separator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a second demulsifying agent is added to the mixture of crude oil and water before it is sent to the second separator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the first separator is an inline separator and the second separator is a hydrocyclone; wherein the inline separator separates into a natural gas stream and a mixture of crude oil and water; wherein the mixture of crude oil and water is sent to the second separator after leaving the first separator; and wherein the second separator separates into a liquid crude stream and a water stream. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising recycling at least a portion of the water exiting the second separator back to the mixture of crude oil and water exiting the first separator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the first separator comprises a free water separator, a knockout drum, an inline separator, a hydrocyclone inline separator, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the second separator comprises a high-pressure vessel, a deoiling hydrocyclone, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the high-pressure separator operates at a pressure of about 400 psig to about 2000 psig and a temperature of about 150° F. to about 190° F. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the high-pressure separator comprises an electrostatic coalescer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the oil and gas mixture is at a pressure of about 100 psig to about 300 psig. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: producing a crude oil from a reservoir; before the crude oil passes through a production choke valve, contacting the crude oil with a demulsifying agent to form a mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent; wherein the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent is at a pressure of about 400 psig to about 500 psig before the choke valve; separating the mixture of crude oil and demulsifying agent in a gas-liquid cyclonic separator into a natural gas stream and an oil-water emulsion stream; separating the oil-water emulsion stream in an electrostatic coalescer to form a first two-phase liquid stream; separating the first two-phase liquid stream in a liquid-liquid separator into a first liquid crude stream and a second two-phase liquid stream; separating the second two-phase liquid stream in a hydrocyclone into a second liquid crude stream and a water stream; and combining the natural gas stream, the first liquid crude stream, and the second liquid crude stream to form an oil and gas mixture. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising recycling at least a portion of the water stream to the first two-phase liquid stream 436. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the oil and gas mixture is at a pressure of about 100 psig to about 300 psig.