Removal of naphthenic acids in crude oils and distillates

Abstract

The instant invention is directed to a process for extracting organic acids including naphthenic acids, heavy metals, and sulfur from a starting crude oil comprising the steps of: (a) treating the starting crude oil containing organic acids, heavy metals, and sulfur with an amount of an ethoxylated amine and water under conditions and for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form a water-in-oil emulsion of amine salt wherein said ethoxylated amine has the following formula: ##STR1## where m=1 to 10 and R=C.sub.3 to C.sub.6 hydrocarbon; (b) separating said emulsion of step (a) into a plurality of layers, wherein one of such layers contains a treated crude oil having decreased amounts of organic acids, heavy metals and sulfur; (c) recovering said layer of step (b) containing said treated crude oil having decreased amounts of organic acids, heavy metal and sulfur and layers containing water and ethoxylated amine salt.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.