Crude oil desalting process
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorKent E. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for desalting a crude oil comprises (1) injecting steam into the oil to form a steam-injected oil; (2) adding water to the steam-injected oil to form a mixture; (3) introducing the mixture to a desalter; (4) inducing the formation of aqueous phase and oil phase; and (5) separating the oil phase from the aqueous phase. Where there are two desalting stages for desalting crude oil, the process can be carried out in either the first stage or second stage, or both stages. The process can also be similarly employed in a multistage desalting process.
Claims23
A process comprising:
- (1) combining steam with a fluid to form a first mixture wherein said fluid comprises a hydrocarbon and a salt;
- (2) introducing water into said first mixture to form a second mixture;
- and (3) separating said hydrocarbon in said second mixture from water under a condition effective to reduce the salt content in said fluid and to form a salt-reduced fluid containing said hydrocarbon wherein the weight % of water in said second mixture is in the range of from about 1 to about 25%.
A process for reducing salt concentration in a crude oil comprising the steps of:
- (1) introducing water to said crude oil to form an oil-water mixture;
- (2) heating said oil-water mixture under a sufficient condition to effect the formation of an aqueous phase and a salt-reduced crude oil;
- (3) separating said salt-reduced crude oil from said aqueous phase;
- (4) introducing steam to said salt-reduced crude oil to from a steam-oil mixture;
- (5) introducing water to said steam-oil mixture to form a steam-oil-water mixture;
- (6) treating said steam-oil-water mixture under a sufficient condition to effect the formation of a second aqueous phase and a second salt-reduced crude oil;
- and (7) separating said second salt-reduced crude oil from said second aqueous phase.
A process comprising:
- (1) combining water with a fluid to from a first mixture wherein said fluid comprises a hydrocarbon and a salt;
- (2) introducing a steam into said first mixture to form a second mixture;
- and (3) separating said hydrocarbon in said second mixture from water under a condition effective to reduce the salt content in said fluid.
A process for reducing salt concentration in a crude oil comprising the steps of:
- (1) introducing water to said crude oil to form an oil-water mixture wherein the quantity of water is in the range of from 4 to 15 weight % of crude oil;
- (2) heating said oil-water mixture at a temperature in the range of from 80.degree. to 150.degree. C. and under a pressure in the range of from 1 to 20 atm;
- (3) inducing the formation of an aqueous phase and a nonaqueous phase containing salt-reduced crude oil;
- (4) separating said nonaqueous phase from said aqueous phase;
- (5) introducing steam to said nonaqueous phase to form a steam-oil mixture wherein said steam is present in the range of from 1 to 100 g per gram of said salt-reduced crude oil;
- (6) introducing water to said steam-oil mixture to form a steam-oil-water mixture;
- (7) heating said a steam-oil-water mixture at a temperature in the range of from 80.degree. to 150.degree. C. and under a pressure in the range of from 1 to 20 atm;
- (8) inducing the formation of a second aqueous phase and a second nonaqueous phase contianing second salt-reduced crude oil;
- and (9) separating said second nonaqueous phase from said second aqueous phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.