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US 8,137,565 B2Granted
Naphthenic acid removal and conversion
AssigneeConocoPhillips Company
InventorsXiaoyi Gong, Jianhua Yao
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus relate to handling of organic contaminants in aqueous streams. The methods and apparatus enable removing the contaminants, such as naphthenic acids, from the aqueous streams and then converting the contaminants into hydrocarbons. The removing and converting of the organic contaminates results in treated discharge and generation of the hydrocarbons, which add to amount of hydrocarbon recovery.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- filtering organic oxygen-containing molecules from water by contacting the water with a sorbent for the molecules,
- wherein the organic oxygen-containing molecules have a formula defined as CnH2n-xOz;
- with n selected from 6 to 46, x selected from −2 to 12 and z selected from 1 and 2,
- wherein the water comprises produced water, process water, or combinations thereof resulting from oil refining operations;
- extracting the molecules from the sorbent by contacting the sorbent with a liquid hydrocarbon;
- and
- converting the molecules into generated hydrocarbons.
4 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a waste water supply containing naphthenic acids;
- a naphthenic acid filtering unit containing a sorbent for naphthenic acids,
- wherein the filtering unit is coupled to the waste water supply containing the naphthenic acids removable by contact with a sorbent;
- wherein the filtering unit is adapted for drying the sorbent and adapted for introducing a liquid hydrocarbon supply to contact the sorbent, thereby producing a liquid hydrocarbon effluent containing naphthenic acids;
- a naphthenic acid conversion unit coupled to receive the liquid hydrocarbon effluent,
- wherein the conversion unit contains a catalyst to convert the naphthenic acids in the effluent into hydrocarbons.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- removing naphthenic acids from water by contacting the water with a sorbent for the naphthenic acids thereby providing treated water and naphthenic acid loaded sorbent;
- drying the naphthenic acid loaded sorbent;
- extracting the naphthenic acids into diesel by contacting the diesel with the naphthenic acid loaded sorbent that is dried;
- and
- hydrotreating the diesel containing the naphthenic acids to convert the naphthenic acids into hydrocarbons that add to constituents of the diesel.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.