2001 Technology for a Sustainable Environment: An Environmentally Sustainable Approach to Crude Oil Production and Processing: Compressed Gas Demulsification

2001 年可持续环境技术：原油生产和加工的环境可持续方法：压缩气体破乳

• 批准号: 0124760
• 负责人: Peter Kilpatrick
• 金额: $ 20.1万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-15 至 2005-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0124760&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: 2001; Technology; Sustainable; Environment; Environmentally

AbstractCTS-0124760Kilpatrick, PNorth Carolina State UThe management of emulsions during the production, transportation, and processing of crude petroleum fluids is one of the most persistent challenges which faces the petroleum industry. Annually, tens of millions of tons of emulsions are produced during production of petroleum and this figure is likely to rise annually with the increased production of heavy oils. A substantial percentage of these emulsions are stabilized by elastic films of adsorbed asphaltenes. It is common to treat these emulsions with chemical demulsifiers, typically nonionic polymers containing substantial proportions of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO). Other methods employed to a lesser extent include thermal pressurization and rapid depressurization, electrostatic droplet shattering and coalescence, and ultrasonication of emulsions. Among the most effective chemical demulsifiers are oxyalkylated phenol resins, phenol-formaldehyde glycidyl ethers, and other polymers based on EO, PO, phenol, and formaldehyde. There is considerable concern in that many of these demulsifier chemicals persist in the environment, are nonbiodegradable, and may have adverse human health effects, including being suspected endocrine disruptors. Moreover, the costs associated with demulsifiers in particularly heavy and troublesome fields can be substantial. This project describes a novel method for demulsifying water-petroleum emulsions using compressed gases; the specific example which has been reduced to practice is the use of compressed carbon dioxide (CO2). The project describes the further development of this method and the possible use of mixed compressed gases, including methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and CO2. The method is based on the alteration of the solvent properties of petroleum for asphaltenes upon dissolution of dissolved gas. It is well known that dissolution of appreciable amounts of propane in petroleum fluids can precipitate asphaltenes, a process known as propane de-asphalting. CO2 is also highly effective and the precipitation is of sufficient magnitude to demulsify extremely stable petroleum emulsions. Should the method be plausible with compressed gases commonly found in contact and coproduced with petroleum - e.g. CH4, C2H6, C3H8, and CO2 - the possibility exists for demulsifying produced emulsions at the source and, perhaps, perform preliminary unit operations on the crude, such as downhole deasphalting. The impact of such a technology, if successfully reduced to economical practice, would be difficult to overestimate. Based on the somewhat reduced scope due to the revised budget reductions, the mixed gas demulsifications will be performed with methane (CH4) and CO2 only.

摘要-0124760Kilpatrick，Pnorth Carolina State U在生产，运输和加工原油液体过程中的乳液管理是面临石油行业面临的最持久挑战之一。 每年，在石油生产过程中会产生数千万吨的乳液，随着重油的产量增加，该数字每年可能每年增加。 这些乳液中很大一部分被吸附的沥青质的弹性膜稳定。 通常，用化学拆除剂（通常是非离子聚合物）处理这些乳液是通常的，这些非离子聚合物含有大量比例的氧化乙烷（EO）和氧化丙烷（PO）。 较小程度的其他方法包括热压和快速降压，静电液滴破碎和合并以及乳液的超声化。最有效的化学拆除剂是氧烷基化的苯酚树脂，苯酚甲醛甘油乙醇醚以及其他基于EO，PO，PO，苯酚和甲醛的聚合物。 人们非常担心的是，许多这些拆除剂化学物质在环境中持续存在，是不可生物降解的，可能会产生不利的人类健康影响，包括被怀疑是内分泌破坏者。 此外，在特别繁重和麻烦的领域中与拆除剂相关的成本可能是巨大的。 该项目描述了一种使用压缩气体拆除水甲基乳液的新方法。降低为实践的具体示例是使用压缩二氧化碳（CO2）。 该项目描述了该方法的进一步开发以及可能使用混合压缩气体，包括甲烷（CH4），乙烷（C2H6），丙烷（C​​3H8）和CO2。 该方法基于溶解气体溶解后石油的溶剂特性的改变。 众所周知，石油液中可溶解大量的丙烷可以沉淀沥青，这一过程称为丙烷脱孔。 二氧化碳也是非常有效的，降水量足以破解极其稳定的石油乳液。 该方法是否合理与接触中常见并与石油相互配置的压缩气体合理 - 例如CH4，C2H6，C3H8和CO2-存在拆除源乳液的可能性，并且也许对原油进行初步单位操作，例如井下脑型。 如果成功地沦为经济实践，这种技术的影响将很难高估。 基于由于修订的预算减少而导致的范围有所降低，仅使用甲烷（CH4）和CO2进行混合的汽油拆除。