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US 5,000,872 AGranted
Surfactant requirements for the low-shear formation of water continuous emulsions from heavy crude oil
AssigneeCanadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.
InventorAndrew M. Olah
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for the preparation of low-viscosity improved stable crude oil transport emulsions. The process comprises producing a hydrocarbon crude, and mixing the produced hydrocarbon crude with an emulsifying composition(s) which contains water and is capable of assisting the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion. The amount of the emulsifying composition(s) that is mixed with the produced hydrocarbon crude is sufficient to form an oil-in-water emulsion having water content of from about 10 percent to about 60 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for allowing the transport of the formulated oil-in-water emulsion.
Claims22
A process for preparing an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion comprising:
- agitating a hydrocarbon with an emulsifying composition having a temperature from about 35 degrees F. to about 170 degrees F. and comprising an aqueous phase and a minor amount of an emulsifying agent to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within about 20 seconds, wherein the amount of aqueous phase in said oil,-in-aqueous phase emulsion is from about 10% to about 60% by eight, wherein the emulsifying agent is used in an amount sufficient to assist in the formation of said oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion, and wherein said emulsifying agent comprises at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having the general formula:
- ##STR27## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 14, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
- and said at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from abut 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 2504;
- and wherein at least about 50% by weight of the emulsifying agent comprises said at least ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 2504;
- and from about 1% by weight to about 10% by weight of the emulsifying agent comprises said at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound wherein y.sub.1 has a value greater than 100.
2 more elements
The process wherein said agitating comprises mixing the hydrocarbon with the emulsifying composition in a shear field with an intensity ranging from 50 sec..sup.-1 to about 10,000 sec..sup.-1 for a period of time ranging from about 0.10 sec. to about 20 secs.
A process for preparing an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion comprising:
- agitating a hydrocarbon with an emulsifying composition having a temperature of from about 35 degrees F. to about the boiling point temperature of the emulsifying composition and comprising an aqueous phase and a minor about of emulsifying agent to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within about 20 seconds, wherein the amount of aqueous phase in said oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion is from about 10% to about 60% by weight, wherein the emulsifying agent is used in an amount sufficient to assist in the formation of aid oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion, and wherein said emulsifying agent comprises a first agent having at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound and a second agent having at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a first general formula:
- ##STR28## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 11, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
- and said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
- and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said first agent comprises said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
- and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a second general formula:
- ##STR29## wherein n.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 9 to about 14, and y.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 300;
- and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
- and wherein at least about 50% of said second agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 2434 to abut 4264;
- and from about 1% by weight to about 75% by weight of the emulsifying agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound wherein y.sub.2 has a value greater than 100.
6 more elements
An emulsifying agent for preparing an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion comprising
- at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having the general formula ##STR32## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 14, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 200;
- and said at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 2504;
- and wherein at least about 50% by weight of the emulsifying agent comprises said at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 2504;
- and from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the emulsifying agent comprises said at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound wherein y.sub.1 has a value greater than 100.
1 more element
An emulsifying agent for preparing an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion comprising
- a first agent having at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound and a second agent having at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a first general formula:
- ##STR33## wherein n.sub.1 is an integer having a value of from about 7 to about 11, and y.sub.1 is an integer having a value from about 4 to about 200;
- and said at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
- and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said first agent comprises said at least one first ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 558 to about 1582;
- and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a second general formula:
- ##STR34## wherein n.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 9 to about 14, and y.sub.2 is an integer having a value of from about 4 to about 300;
- and said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound has a molecular weight distribution with a dispersity of from about 1.0 to about 5.0 and with a weight average molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
- and wherein at least about 50% by weight of said second agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound having a molecular weight of from about 2434 to about 4264;
- and from about 1% by weight to about 75% by weight of the emulsifying agent comprises said at least one second ethoxylated alkylphenol compound wherein y.sub.2 has a value greater than 100.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.