Method of reducing the viscosity of hydrocarbons
AssigneeNalco Company
InventorsMarcus D. Faust, Jr., Thomas M. Weathers, Jr., Duy T. Nguyen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of treating hydrocarbon fluids to reduce the apparent viscosity of hydrocarbon fluids encountered in petroleum operations and reducing deposits within a well annulus or a pipeline are disclosed. The method comprises contacting such fluids with a hydrophobically modified polysaccharide to create water external emulsions. The disclosed hydrophobically modified polysaccharides have been demonstrated to reduce interfacial tension to below 65 mN/m and thereby improve the transportability of inherently viscous hydrocarbon fluids, such as heavy crude oils.
Claims20
A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid comprising heavy crude oil encountered in petroleum operations having an American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity of about 20 or less, the method comprising:
- (i) contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective emulsifying amount of a composition comprising at least one hydrophobically modified non-ionic polymer having the general formula below:
- wherein each R is independently hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an hydroxyalkyl group, or an alkoxy group, and n is from 5 to 5,000;
- and
- (ii) creating a water external emulsion comprising the hydrocarbon fluid and the composition wherein the water external emulsion has a lower apparent viscosity than the hydrocarbon fluid.
A method of reducing deposits within a well annulus or a pipeline, the method comprising:
- (i) contacting a hydrocarbon fluid comprising heavy crude oil encountered in petroleum operations having an API gravity of about 20 or less within the well annulus or the pipeline with an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one hydrophobically modified non-ionic polymer having the general formula below:
- wherein each R is independently hydrogen, an alkyl group, an hydroxyalkyl group, or an alkoxy group, and n is from 5 to 5,000;
- and
- (ii) creating a water external emulsion comprising the hydrocarbon fluid and the composition wherein the water external emulsion has a lower apparent viscosity than the hydrocarbon fluid.
A method for reducing the apparent viscosity of a hydrocarbon fluid comprising heavy crude oil encountered in petroleum operations having an American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity of about 20 or less, the method comprising:
- (i) contacting said hydrocarbon fluid with an effective emulsifying amount of a composition comprising at least one hydrophobically modified non-ionic polymer having the general formula below:
- wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of H, a group having the general formula (C2H4O)mH, wherein m is from 1 to about 5;
- a group having the general formula CxH2x+1, wherein x is from about 4 to 14;
- a branched alkyl having the general formula CxH2x+1, wherein x is from about 4 to 14 in the main chain of the branched alkyl;
- a group having the general formula (C2H4O)mCxH2x+1, wherein m is from 1 to 5 and x from about 4 to 14;
- a branched group having the general formula (C2H4O)mCxH2x+1, wherein m is from 1 to 5 and x from about 4 to 14 in its main chain;
- a group having the general formula CxH2x+1O, wherein x is from about 4 to 14 and the O is a free OH group replacing a hydrogen;
- a group having the general formula (C2H4O)mCxH2x+1O, wherein m is from 1 to 5 and x is from about 4 to 14 and the O is a free OH group replacing a hydrogen;
- and any combination thereof, and
- (ii) creating a water external emulsion comprising the hydrocarbon fluid and the composition wherein the water external emulsion has a lower apparent viscosity than the hydrocarbon fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.