Process for desalting crude oil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10920154-B2
Application number	US-201314414766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2013
Priority date	Jul 27, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process of desalting crudeoil, in particular a process for desalting a crude oil which comprises an ionic liquid, an organic acid and any resulting organic salt.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process of separating an ionic liquid from a crude oil and an organic acid from the crude oil in a desalter, the process comprising the steps of:
(i) introducing into the desalter a mixture comprising crude oil, an ionic liquid, and an organic acid, together with water in an amount of greater than 30% by volume relative to the mixture; and
(ii) separating a crude oil phase from one or more liquid phases comprising the ionic liquid, organic acid, and water.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the water is introduced into the desalter in an amount of less than 70% by volume relative to the mixture.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mixture and the water are subjected to mixing.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the mixture and the water are passed through a mixing valve.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the pressure differential across the mixing valve is from 1 psi to 20 psi.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein an electrostatic field is applied to the desalter.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the electrostatic field is from 1 kV AC to 25 kV AC.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the desalter is maintained at a temperature of from 60° C. to 120° C.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein a demulsifier is introduced into the desalter.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the one or more liquid phases include a water extract phase comprising the organic acid and the ionic liquid and the process further comprises the step of separating the ionic liquid and the organic acid.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the ionic liquid and the organic acid are regenerated.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the organic acid is naphthenic acid.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the process is a continuous process.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid is a basic ionic liquid.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises a basic anion selected from at least one member of a group consisting of: serinate, prolinate, histidinate, threoninate, valinate, asparaginate, taurinate, lysinate, alkylcarbonate and hydrogen carbonate.

16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the basic anion is an alkylcarbonate.

17. The process of claim 14 , wherein the basic ionic liquid comprises a cation selected or derived from the group consisting of: ammonium, azaannulenium, azathiazolium, benzimidazolium, benzofuranium, benzothiophenium, benzotriazolium, borolium, cinnolinium, diazabicyclodecenium, diazabicyclononenium, diazabicycloundecenium, dibenzofuranium, dibenzothiophenium, dithiazolium, furanium, guanidinium, imidazolium, indazolium, indolinium, indolium, morpholinium, oxaborolium, oxaphospholium, oxathiazolium, oxazinium, oxazolium, iso-oxazolium, oxazolinium, pentazolium, phospholium, phosphonium, phthalazinium, piperazinium, piperidinium, pyranium, pyrazinium, pyrazolium, pyridazinium, pyridinium, pyrimidinium, pyrrolidinium, pyrrolium, quinazolinium, quinolinium, iso-quinolinium, quinoxalinium, selenazolium, sulfonium, tetrazolium, thiadiazolium, iso-thiadiazolium, thiazinium, thiazolium, iso-thiazolium, thiophenium, thiuronium, triazadecenium, triazinium, triazolium, iso-triazolium, and uronium.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the cation is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein: R a , R b , R c , R d , R e , R f and R g are each independently selected from hydrogen, a C 1 to C 30 , straight chain or branched alkyl group, a C 3 to C 8 cycloalkyl group, or a C 6 to C 10 aryl group, wherein said alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl groups are unsubstituted or may be substituted by one to three groups selected from: C 1 to C 6 alkoxy, C 2 to C 12 alkoxyalkoxy, C 3 to C 8 cycloalkyl, C 6 to C 10 aryl, —CN, —OH, —SH, —NO 2 , C 6 to C 10 aryl and C 7 to C 10 alkaryl, —CO 2 (C 1 to C 6 )alkyl, —OC(O)(C 1 to C 6 )alkyl, or any two of R b , R c , R d , R e and R f attached to adjacent carbon atoms form a methylene chain —(CH 2 ) q — wherein q is from 3 to 6.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the cation is selected from:
[N(R a )(R b )(R c )(R d )] + , [P(R a )(R b )(R c )(R d )] + , and [S(R a )(R b )(R c )] + ,
wherein: R a , R b , R c and R d are as defined in claim 18 .

20. The process of claim 19 , wherein the cation is selected from:
[N(R a )(R b )(R c )(R d )] + ,
wherein: R a , R b , R c and R d are each independently selected from C 1 to C 8 alkyl, including C 2 , C 4 and C 6 alkyl.

21. The process of claim 20 , wherein the cation is tributyl(methyl)ammonium or triethyl(methyl)ammonium.

22. The process of claim 14 , wherein the basic ionic liquid comprises a cation represented by the formula:
Cat + -(Z-Bas) n
wherein: Cat + is a positively charged moiety;
Bas is a basic moiety;
Z is a covalent bond joining Cat + and Bas, or is a divalent linking group; and
n is an integer of from 1 to 3.

23. The process of claim 22 , wherein [Cat + -Z-Bas] is selected from the group consisting of:

24. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the acid containing crude oil is pre-treated in a de-salter to remove inorganic salts.

Assignees

• Petroliam Nasional Berhad Petronas

Inventors

• Anderson Kris
• Hussain Azlan
• Atkins Martin
• Basar Jamali

Classifications

• C10G31/08 Primary

  by treating with water · CPC title

• C10G2300/1033

  Oil well production fluids · CPC title

• C10G33/02

  with electrical or magnetic means · CPC title

• C07C51/48

  by liquid-liquid treatment · CPC title

• B01D17/045

  with coalescers · CPC title