Recovery of kinetic hydrate inhibitor
AssigneeExxonMobil Upstream Research Company
InventorsLarry D. Talley, Karla S. Colle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for treating a fluid having hydrate-forming constituents is provided. In one or more embodiments, the method includes including a mixture (110) comprising glycol and one or more kinetic inhibitors to a fluid (105) that includes one or more hydrate-forming constituents and water to provide a treated fluid comprising the glycol, one or more kinetic inhibitors, one or more hydrate-forming constituents and water. The treated fluid (125) is then separated at conditions sufficient to provide an oil phase stream and an aqueous phase stream, wherein the aqueous phase stream includes one or more kinetic inhibitors, glycol and water.
Claims49
A method for treating a fluid having hydrate-forming constituents, comprising:
- introducing a mixture comprising glycol and one or more kinetic inhibitors to a fluid that includes one or more hydrate-forming constituents and water to provide a treated fluid comprising the glycol, one or more kinetic inhibitors, one or more hydrate-forming constituents and water;
- in an aqueous phase separating step, separating the treated fluid at conditions sufficient to provide an oil phase stream and an aqueous phase stream, wherein the aqueous phase stream includes one or more kinetic inhibitors, glycol and water;
- and
- in a kinetic inhibitor recovery step, heating the aqueous phase stream at a temperature of above 100° C. to provide a first stream comprising water and a second stream comprising the one or more kinetic inhibitors and glycol from the aqueous phase stream.
A method for treating a fluid having hydrate-forming constituents, comprising:
- introducing a mixture comprising glycol and one or more kinetic inhibitors to the fluid having one or more hydrate-forming constituents and water to provide a treated fluid comprising glycol, one or more kinetic inhibitors, one or more hydrate-forming constituents and water;
- in an aqueous phase separating step, separating the treated fluid at conditions sufficient to recover an aqueous phase stream from the treated fluid, the aqueous phase stream comprising one or more kinetic inhibitors, glycol and water;
- in a kinetic inhibitor recovery step, heating the aqueous phase stream to above 100° C. to remove water and one or more hydrate-forming constituents;
- and
- recovering a mixture comprising essentially all of the glycol and one or more kinetic inhibitors from the aqueous phase stream.
A method for treating a fluid having hydrate-forming constituents, comprising:
- producing a petroleum fluid from one or more wells, the petroleum fluid comprising one or more hydrate-forming constituents, natural gas, oil and water;
- transporting the petroleum fluid from the one or more wells;
- introducing a mixture comprising glycol and one or more kinetic inhibitors to the petroleum fluid to provide a treated fluid comprising natural gas, oil, water, glycol, one or more hydrate-forming constituents and one or more kinetic inhibitors;
- in an aqueous phase separating step, separating the treated fluid into a gas phase stream, an oil phase stream, and an aqueous phase stream, wherein the aqueous phase stream comprises one or more kinetic inhibitors, one or more hydrate-forming constituents, glycol and water;
- liquefying the gas phase stream to form a liquefied natural gas stream;
- in a kinetic inhibitor recovery step, heating the aqueous phase stream to above 100° C. to remove at least a portion of the water;
- and
- recovering a mixture comprising essentially all of the glycol and one or more kinetic inhibitors from the aqueous phase stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.