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US 2012/0073811 A1Published application
In situ process for mercury removal
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorJon Marvin Mock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and system relate to in-situ treatment of fluid to remove a heavy metal, such as mercury. The treatment utilizes a sorbent injected into a wellbore and disposed in a flow path of the fluid being produced to above ground. The mercury retained by the sorbent upon contact with the fluid may remain within a reservoir from which the fluid is recovered.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- injecting a solid sorbent for heavy metal into a wellbore intersecting a subterranean reservoir containing hydrocarbon products;
- passing the hydrocarbon products into contact with the sorbent resulting in sorption of heavy metal from the hydrocarbon products;
- and
- recovering the products to above ground from the wellbore after the products pass into contact with the sorbent.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- fracturing a subterranean formation to generate fractures with a fluid containing a solid sorbent for heavy metal;
- passing hydrocarbon products into contact with the sorbent disposed in the fractures resulting in sorption of heavy metal from the hydrocarbon products;
- and
- recovering the products produced from the formation and treated to remove the heavy metal by the contact with the sorbent.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- packing part of a wellbore intersecting a subterranean reservoir containing hydrocarbon products with solid sorbent for mercury;
- and
- producing the hydrocarbon products, wherein during the producing the products contact the sorbent disposed underground resulting in sorption of the mercury from the hydrocarbon products prior to above ground removal of the products from the wellbore.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.