Process for stabilizing an oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016199803-A1
Application number	US-201514980600-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Nov 16, 2007
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for the preparation of at least one ARN acid or salt thereof comprising: (I) allowing at least one ARN acid salt to form during the production of crude oil in the presence of water; (II) removing at least 5 wt % of the formed at least one ARN acid salt, e.g. from the oil water interface; and optionally (III) converting said salt into an acid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for the preparation of at least one ARN acid or salt thereof comprising:
(I) allowing at least one ARN acid salt to form during the production of crude oil in the presence of water; (II) removing at least 5 wt % of the formed at least one ARN acid salt; and optionally (III) converting said salt into an acid.

2 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least 5 wt % of the formed at least one ARN acid salt is removed from the oil water interface.

3 . A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said salt is a calcium salt.

4 . A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pH of step (I) is at least 5.

5 . A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressure during ARN acid salt formation is ambient.

6 . A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ARN acid content of the crude oil is at least 10 ppm.

7 . A process for the preparation of at least one ARN acid comprising:
(I) allowing at least one ARN acid salt to form during the production of crude oil in the presence of water; (II) removing at least 5 wt % of the formed at least one ARN acid salt; (III) if necessary, removing water or oil from the ARN acid salt; (IV) acidifying said ARN acid salt to form an ARN acid; and (V) optionally cleaning said ARN acid.

8 . A process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the water or oil is removed from said ARN acid salt in step (III) by azeotropic distillation.

9 . A process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein step (V) is carried out by passing said ARN acid salt through an ion exchange column.

10 . A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein said salt is a calcium salt.

11 . A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the pH of step (I) is at least 5.

12 . A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the pressure during ARN acid salt formation is ambient.

13 . A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the ARN acid content of the crude oil is at least 10 ppm.

14 . A process for the preparation of an ARN acid or salt thereof comprising
(I) adding at least one metal ion to a crude oil at a pH of at least 5 so as to form an ARN acid salt; (II) separating at least a part of the formed ARN acid salt from the crude oil; and optionally (III) converting said salt into an acid.

15 . A process as claimed in claim 14 wherein said metal ion is a calcium ion.

16 . A process as claimed in claim 14 wherein the pressure during ARN acid salt formation is ambient.

17 . A process as claimed in claim 14 wherein the ARN acid content of the crude oil is at least 10 ppm.

18 . A process for the preparation of an ARN acid or salt thereof comprising:
(A) adding acid to a crude oil extracted from a field where water breakthrough has occurred so as to prevent ARN acid salt formation; (B) separating a part of the acidified oil/water mixture; (C) basifying said mixture to a pH of at least 5 to allow the ARN acid salt to form (D) removing at least 10% of the formed at least one ARN acid salt; and optionally (E) converting said salt into an acid.

19 . A process as claimed in claim 18 wherein said salt is a calcium salt.

20 . A process as claimed in claim 18 wherein the pH of step (I) is at least 5.

21 . A process as claimed in claim 18 wherein the pressure during ARN acid salt formation is ambient.

22 . A process as claimed in claim 18 wherein the ARN acid content of the crude oil is at least 10 ppm.

23 . A lubricant comprising an ARN acid or salt thereof.

24 . An emulsion comprising an ARN acid, derivative or salt thereof.

25 . A food additive comprising an ARN acid or salt thereof.

Assignees

• Statoil Petroleum As

Inventors

• Vindstad Jens Emil
• Mediaas Heidi
• Grande Knut Vebjørn

Classifications

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title

• C07C51/412

  by conversion of the acids, their salts, esters or anhydrides with the same carboxylic acid part · CPC title

• B01F17/0021 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• C07C51/46

  by azeotropic distillation · CPC title

• A23L1/30

  Human Necessities · mapped topic