Stabilizing asphaltene in crude oil using waste plastic antifoulants
AssigneeBaker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
InventorMarco Respini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for stabilizing asphaltenes in petroleum feedstocks such as crude oil includes adding to the feedstock an effective amount of an additive containing at least one waste plastic. Suitable waste plastics include, but are not necessarily limited to, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, and polyurethane, and combinations thereof. By “stabilizing” is meant keeping the asphaltenes in solution in the petroleum feedstocks.
Claims18
A method for stabilizing asphaltenes in a petroleum feedstock comprising:
- evaluating the stability of asphaltenes in the petroleum feedstock;
- obtaining at least one waste plastic from plastic bottles or plastic packaging;
- reducing the size of the at least one waste plastic into chips;
- preparing at least one additive comprising the at least one waste plastic, wherein the step of preparing the at least one additive further comprises the step of dissolving the chips in a solvent;
- and
- adding to the petroleum feedstock an effective amount of up to about 1 wt % of the at least one additive to improve the stability of asphaltenes in the petroleum feedstock.
A method for stabilizing asphaltenes in a petroleum feedstock comprising:
- evaluating the stability of asphaltenes in the petroleum feedstock;
- obtaining at least one waste plastic from plastic bottles or plastic packaging;
- reducing the size of the at least one waste plastic into chips;
- preparing at least one additive comprising the at least one waste plastic, wherein the step of preparing the at least one additive further comprises the step of dissolving the chips in a solvent;
- and
- adding to the petroleum feedstock an effective amount of up to about 0.5 wt % at least one additive to improve the stability of asphaltenes in the petroleum feedstock;
- where the petroleum feedstock is selected from the group consisting of crude oils, heavy oils, coker feedstocks, visbreaker feedstocks, vacuum tower bottoms, fuel oils, diesel oils, bunker fuel oils, and mixtures thereof;
- and
- where the at least one waste plastic is selected from the group of waste plastics consisting of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, and polyurethane, and combinations thereof.
A stabilized petroleum feedstock comprising:
- a petroleum feedstock having asphaltenes and a corresponding baseline asphaltene stability index;
- and
- an effective amount of at least one additive of up to about 1 wt. % based on the petroleum feedstock to improve the stability of asphaltenes in the petroleum feedstock,
- where the at least one additive comprises at least one waste plastic selected from polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, and polyurethane,
- wherein the effective amount of the least one additive increases the baseline asphaltene stability index of the petroleum feedstock, and
- wherein the additive comprises the waste plastics dissolved in a solvent selected from the group consisting of refinery gasoil, fluid catalytic coking heavy cycle oil, light cycle oil, delayed coker heavy gasoil, xylene, benzene, and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.