# US 2025/0144547 A1 · Catalytic heater unit for heating wet crude oil to enhance processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0144547 A1 - Document ID: US20250144547A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/503,927 - Filed: 2023-11-07 - Published: 2025-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2023-11-07 - Assignees: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Applicants: Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Inventors: Hatim Awad ALSHAMMARI; Shahid M. ALHINDI; Abdullah S. ALHUSSAIN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250144547A1 ## CPC - B01D 17/042: {by changing the temperature} - B01D 17/0214: {with removal of one of the phases} - B01D 19/0068: {General arrangements, e.g. flowsheets (B01D19/0063 takes precedence)} - B01J 23/42: Platinum - B01J 35/56: Foraminous structures having flow-through passages or channels, e.g. grids or three-dimensional [3D] monoliths - C10G 31/06: by heating, cooling, or pressure treatment - C10G 53/02: plural serial stages only - C10G 2300/70: Catalyst aspects - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES ## Abstract Methods and systems of using a catalytic heater unit to heat a wet crude oil to enhance processing of the oil. The methods and systems include using the catalytic heater unit to enhance separating a wet crude oil into a gas fraction, an aqueous fraction, and an oil fraction. The wet crude oil may pass through a two-way separator to separate a portion of the gas fraction from the aqueous fraction and the oil fraction prior to heating to a predetermined temperature in a catalytic heater unit. The catalytic heater unit may include a plurality of catalytic heating pads surrounding at least a portion of a plurality of oil stream channels. The heated wet crude oil then passes through a three-way separator to separate the remaining gas fraction, the aqueous fraction, and the oil fraction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of separating a wet crude oil into a gas fraction, an aqueous fraction, and an oil fraction, the method comprising: passing the wet crude oil through a two-way separator to separate a portion of the gas fraction from the aqueous fraction and the oil fraction; heating the wet crude oil from the two-way separator to a predetermined temperature in a catalytic heater unit, wherein the catalytic heater unit comprises a plurality of catalytic heating pads surrounding at least a portion of a plurality of oil stream channels; and passing the wet crude oil through a three-way separator to separate into the remaining gas fraction, the aqueous fraction, and the oil fraction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: flowing a portion of the gas fraction from the two-way separator to the catalytic heating pads; reacting the portion of the gas fraction with oxygen and thereby producing thermal energy for heating the wet crude oil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is at least 140° F. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, heating the catalytic heating pad to an activation temperature with an applied electric current, wherein the activation temperature is least 200° F. ### Claim 5 A system for separating wet crude oil into a gas fraction, an aqueous fraction, and an oil fraction, the system comprising: a two-way separator operable to separate at least a portion of a gas fraction from the wet crude oil; a catalytic heater unit arranged to receive the wet crude oil from the two-way separator and operable to heat the wet crude oil to a predetermined temperature and thereby generate a heated wet crude oil; and a three-way separator arranged to receive the heated wet crude oil from the catalytic heater unit and operable to separate the heated wet crude oil into the gas fraction, the aqueous fraction, and the oil fraction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the catalytic heater unit includes a catalytic heating pad that includes at least one catalyst capable of catalyzing a reaction between a hydrocarbon gas and oxygen to produce thermal energy. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the catalyst is a platinum-based catalyst. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the catalytic heater unit includes at least three oil stream channels through which the wet crude oil discharged from low-pressure production trap flows. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the catalytic heater unit includes at least one inlet for receiving a portion of the gas fraction separated from the wet crude oil in the low-pressure production trap. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the catalytic heating pad includes a substrate coated in a catalyst. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the substrate is a fiberglass substrate and the catalyst is a platinum based catalyst. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the substrate coated in the catalyst has a square mesh structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the catalytic heater unit includes at least one oil stream channel through which wet crude oil flows and at least one catalytic heat pad configured to heat the wet crude oil flowing through the at least one oil stream channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising an outer enclosure encompassing the least at least one catalytic heating pad and at least one oil stream channel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, further comprising at least one inlet for receiving a hydrocarbon-based fuel.