Oil desalting by forming unstable water-in-oil emulsions
AssigneeExxonMobile Research and Engineering Company
InventorRamesh Varadaraj
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determination for a given oil the relative stability of a water-in-oil emulsion that will be formed by that oil with water comprises measuring for the given oil the weight percent asphaltenes (A), total acid number (TAN), and ratio of the amount of naphthenic acids in the 450+ molecular weight to 450 molecular weight range (R); calculating an emulsion stability parameter, S=A+TAN*R; and determining whether the emulsion stability parameter, S, is greater than about 3; with a value above 3 being determinative of an emulsion more stable than one with a value less than 3.
Claims9
A method for determination for a given oil, the relative stability of a water-in-oil emulsion that will be formed by that oil with water comprising:
- a) measuring for the given oil the
- (i) weight percent asphaltenes (A),
- (ii) total acid number (TAN), and
- (iii) the ratio of the amount of naphthenic acids in the 450+ molecular weight to 450 molecular weight range (R);
- b) calculating an emulsion stability parameter, S=A+TAN*R;
- c) determining whether the emulsion stability parameter, S, is greater than about 3;
- with a value above 3 being determinative of an emulsion more stable than one with a value less than 3.
A method to desalt an oil comprising:
- a) measuring for the oil, the
- (i) weight % asphaltenes (A),
- (ii) total acid number (TAN),
- (iii) the ratio of the amount of naphthenic acids in the 450+ molecular weight to 450 molecular weight range (R);
- b) calculating an emulsion stability parameter, S=A+TAN*R,
- c) determining whether the emulsion stability parameter, S, is greater than about 3, and, if above 3;
- d) treating the oil under conditions sufficient to obtain a treated oil whose emulsion stability parameter, S, is less than about 3;
- e) adding water to the said treated oil, in the range of 1 to 20 wt % based on the weight of the treated oil;
- f) mixing the treated oil and water to form a water-in-treated oil emulsion;
- g) coalescing the water of the water-in-treated oil emulsion;
- h) separating the coalesced water to obtain a desalted crude oil.
A method to form an unstable water-in-oil emulsion from an oil and water comprising:
- a) measuring for the oil, the
- (i) weight % asphaltenes (A),
- (ii) total acid number (TAN),
- (iii) the ratio of the amount of naphthenic acids in the 450+ molecular weight to 450− molecular weight range (R);
- b) calculating an emulsion stability parameter, S=A+TAN*R,
- c) determining whether the emulsion stability parameter, S, is greater than about 3, and, if above 3;
- d) treating the oil under conditions sufficient to obtain a treated oil whose emulsion stability parameter S is less than about 3;
- e) adding said water to the said treated oil, in the range of 1 to 20 wt % based on the weight of the treated oil;
- f) mixing the treated oil and the water to form an unstable water-in-treated oil emulsion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.