Methods for expanding and enriching hydrocarbon diluent pools
AssigneeTexon Midstream, LLC
InventorsLarry D. Mattingly, Ronnie D. Andrews, John Colin Robbins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a method for enriching diluents with butane so as not to violate pre-defined limits for liquid hydrocarbon fuels with respect to density, volatility and low density hydrocarbon content.
Claims24
A method for the controlled production and distribution of butane enriched diluents so as not to violate pre-defined limits selected from butane content, volatility, density, and combinations thereof comprising:
- a) providing a diluent stream having a flow rate, a line pressure, a butane content, a volatility and a density;
- b) providing a variable rate butane injection unit in fluid connection with said diluent stream;
- c) obtaining values for one or more parameters of said diluent stream selected from butane content, volatility, density, and combinations thereof;
- d) adjusting a rate of injecting butane into said diluent stream based upon the one or more parameter values in step (c) so as not to violate the foregoing pre-defined limits;
- and
- e) injecting butane into the diluent stream from the butane injection unit at a pressure greater than said diluent stream pressure, and the adjusted rate from step (d).
A method for the controlled production and distribution of a butane enriched diluent stream so as not to violate pre-defined limits for butane content, comprising:
- a) providing a diluent stream having a flow rate, pressure, butane content, volatility and density;
- b) providing a variable rate butane injection unit in fluid connection with said diluent stream;
- c) obtaining a parameter value for the butane content of the diluent stream upstream and/or downstream of said injection unit;
- d) adjusting a rate of injecting butane into said diluent stream based upon the parameter value for the butane content in step (c), so as not to violate the foregoing pre-defined limits for butane content;
- and
- e) injecting butane into the diluent stream from the butane injection unit at a pressure greater than said diluent stream pressure, and the adjusted rate from step (d).
A method for the controlled production and distribution of a butane enriched diluent stream so as not to violate pre-defined limits for volatility, comprising:
- a) providing a diluent stream having a flow rate, pressure, butane content, volatility and density;
- b) providing a variable rate butane injection unit in fluid connection with said diluent stream;
- c) obtaining a parameter value for the volatility upstream and/or downstream of said injection unit;
- d) adjusting a rate of injecting butane into said diluent stream based upon the volatility obtained in step (c), so as not to violate the foregoing pre-defined limit for volatility;
- e) injecting butane into the diluent stream from the butane injection unit at the adjusted rate from step (d).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.