Methods of vapor pressure stabilization of crude oil

Abstract

Methods of crude oil stabilization may include separating crude oil in a bulk separator into a first light hydrocarbon stream, a first water stream, and a first bottoms stream; separating the first bottoms stream in an intermediate pressure separator into a second light hydrocarbon stream, a second water stream, and a second bottoms stream; separating the second bottoms stream in a separator into a third light hydrocarbon stream, a third water stream, and a third bottoms stream; introducing a stripping gas stream comprising methane into the separator; storing the third bottoms stream in a vessel comprising an outlet for a fourth light hydrocarbon stream; treating at least a portion of the first, second, third, and fourth light hydrocarbon streams in a vapor treatment process to form a final light hydrocarbon stream; and recycling at least a portion of the final light hydrocarbon stream to the separator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.