Tar sands emulsion-breaking process
AssigneeTexaco Canada Inc.
InventorRene F. Bialek
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Abstract
Disclosed is a process for breaking an oil-in-water emulsion, in particular a raw emulsion produced in in situ tar sand plants, by first contacting with a polyethylene polymeric resin having a molecular weight in the range of 100,000 and 7,000,000 the raw emulsions; allowing to stand for two to four hours; adding a hydrocarbon diluent, optionally containing a larger amount of resin and then removing a mixture of diluent and oil floating on the water surface.
Claims10
A process for recovering oil from a oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by clay and other solids comprising intimately contacting said emulsion with an effective demulsifying amount of a non-ionic, water soluble polyethylene oxide polymeric resin having a molecular weight in the range of 100,000 to 7,000,000;
- allowing the emulsion to settle for 2 to 4 hours;
- thereafter diluting said emulsion with an effective oil-dissolving amount of a hydrocarbon diluent in which said oil is soluble, thereby obtaining a mixture of said oil, and said diluent floating on said water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.