Gas stripping process for removal of sulfur-containing components from crude oil

The method of claim 7 further comprising splitting the resulting gas stream into a relatively higher molecular weight hydrocarbon fraction and a relatively lower molecular weight hydrocarbon fraction.

A method for reducing content of light mercaptans in a crude oil stream comprising stripping the crude oil stream including the light mercaptans with a gas stream having a relatively reduced level of the mercaptans or no mercaptan to give a gas stream containing an increased level of mercaptans and a crude oil containing a reduced level of mercaptans, the light mercaptans comprising methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan and mixtures thereof.

The method of claim 12 where the mercaptans are stripped from the crude oil stream at a high rate of between about 0.1 to about 1.0 MSCF per barrel of crude oil (about 18 to about 180 m3 gas/m3).

A hydrocarbon processing system for processing a hydrocarbon stream comprising a unit for reducing content of at least one sulfur-containing component in a hydrocarbon stream comprising stripping the hydrocarbon stream including at least one sulfur-containing component with a gas stream having a relatively reduced level of the sulfur-containing component or no sulfur-containing component to give a gas stream containing an increased level of sulfur-containing component and a hydrocarbon stream containing a reduced level of sulfur-containing component.

The hydrocarbon processing system of claim 20 where the unit is a tower where the hydrocarbon stream is introduced at or near the top of the tower, the gas stream is introduced at or near the bottom of the tower, the gas containing sulfur-containing components is removed at or near the top of the tower and the hydrocarbon stream containing reduced level of sulfur-containing component is removed at or near the bottom of the tower.

A hydrocarbon processing system for processing crude oil comprising a unit for reducing content of light mercaptans in a crude oil comprising stripping the crude oil stream including the light mercaptans with a gas stream having a relatively reduced level of the mercaptan or no mercaptan to give a gas stream containing an increased level of mercaptan and a crude oil stream containing a reduced level of light mercaptans, the light mercaptans comprising methyl mercaptan, ethyl mercaptan, and mixtures thereof.

The hydrocarbon processing system of claim 28 where the unit is a tower where the crude oil is introduced at or near the top of the tower, the gas stream is introduced at or near the bottom of the tower, the gas containing mercaptans is removed at or near the top of the tower and the crude oil stream containing reduced level of mercaptan is removed at or near the bottom of the tower.