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 CTS-0124760Kilpatrick，P 北卡罗来纳州立大学原油流体生产、运输和加工过程中的乳液管理是石油工业面临的最持久的挑战之一。 每年，石油生产过程中会产生数千万吨乳状液，并且随着重油产量的增加，这一数字可能会逐年上升。 这些乳液的很大一部分是通过吸附沥青质的弹性膜来稳定的。 通常用化学破乳剂处理这些乳液，通常是含有大量环氧乙烷 (EO) 和环氧丙烷 (PO) 的非离子聚合物。 较小程度采用的其他方法包括热加压和快速减压、静电液滴粉碎和聚结以及乳液的超声处理。最有效的化学破乳剂包括烷氧基化酚醛树脂、酚醛缩水甘油醚以及其他基于 EO、PO、苯酚和甲醛的聚合物。 人们相当关注的是，许多破乳剂化学品在环境中持续存在，不可生物降解，并且可能对人类健康产生不利影响，包括被怀疑是内分泌干扰物。 此外，在特别繁重和麻烦的领域中与破乳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破乳水-石油乳液的新方法；已付诸实践的具体例子是使用压缩二氧化碳（CO2）。 该项目描述了该方法的进一步发展以及混合压缩气体的可能使用，包括甲烷（CH4）、乙烷（C2H6）、丙烷（C3H8）和CO2。 该方法基于溶解气体溶解后石油对沥青质的溶剂性质的改变。 众所周知，在石油流体中溶解大量丙烷可以沉淀沥青质，这一过程称为丙烷脱沥青。 CO2 也非常有效，其沉淀程度足以使极其稳定的石油乳液破乳。 该方法是否适用于通常与石油接触并联产的压缩气体 - 例如CH4、C2H6、C3H8 和 CO2 - 可以在源头对产生的乳液进行破乳，并可能对原油进行初步单元操作，例如井下脱沥青。 如果成功地转化为经济实践，这种技术的影响将难以被高估。 由于修订后的预算削减导致范围有所缩小，混合气体破乳将仅使用甲烷 (CH4) 和 CO2 进行。