Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd.

World Energy Systems Corporation

Daniel P Rimmer

Armand A Gregoli

Andrew M Olah

John A Hamshar

Erdal Yildirim

Christopher J Riley

John A Hamshar, 3rd

Dennis J Graue

An integrated process is disclosed for treating, at the surface, production fluids recovered from the application of in situ hydrovisbreaking to heavy crude oils and natural bitumens deposited in subsurface formations. The production fluids include virgin heavy hydrocarbons, heavy hydrocarbons converted via the hydrovisbreaking process to lighter liquid hydrocarbons, residual reducing gases, hydrocarbon gases, and other components. In the process of this invention, the hydrocarbons in the production fluids are separated into a synthetic-crude-oil product (a nominal butane to 975.degree. F. fraction with reduced sulfur, nitrogen, metals, and carbon residue) and a residuum stream (a nominal 975.degree. F.+ fraction). Partial oxidation of the residuum is carried out to produce clean reducing gas and fuel gas for steam generation, with the reducing gas and steam used in the in situ hydrovisbreaking process.

Production of synthetic crude oil from heavy hydrocarbons recovered by

A process is disclosed for the in situ conversion and recovery of heavy crude oils and natural bitumens from subsurface formations using either a continuous operation with one or more injection and production boreholes, which may include horizontal boreholes, or a cyclic operation whereby both injection and production occur in the same boreholes. A mixture of reducing gases, oxidizing gases, and steam are fed to downhole combustion devices located in the injection boreholes. Combustion of the reducing gas-oxidizing gas mixture is carried out to produce superheated steam and hot reducing gases for injection into the formation to convert and upgrade the heavy crude or bitumen into lighter hydrocarbons. Communication between the injection and production boreholes in the continuous operation and fluid mobility within the formation in the cyclic operation is induced by fracturing or related methods. In the continuous mode, the injected steam and reducing gases drive upgraded hydrocarbons and virgin hydrocarbons to the production boreholes for recovery. In the cyclic operation, wellhead pressure is reduced after a period of injection causing injected fluids, upgraded hydrocarbons, and virgin hydrocarbons in the vicinity of the boreholes to be produced. Injection and production are then repeated for additional cycles. In both operations, the hydrocarbons produced are collected at the surface for further processing.

Upgrading and recovery of heavy crude oils and natural bitumens by in

A process for recovering a hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon bearing sand comprising the steps of mixing a chemical additive with a chemical composition and with a hydrocarbon bearing sand containing hydrocarbon and residual solids including clay, at a temperature to form a slurry. The chemical composition comprises an aqueous phase and a minor amount of a chemical agent selected from the group consisting of at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, at least one ethoxylated dialkylphenol compound, MIBC, SC-177, Petronate HL, Clacium Lignosulfonate and mixtures thereof. The slurry is aerated to produce essentially sludge-free tailings and a mixture of hydrocarbon, aqueous phase and residual solids including clay. The process further comprises the step of separating the mixture of the hydrocarbon, the aqueous phase and the residual solids including clay from the essentially sludge-free tailings.

Process for recovery of hydrocarbons and rejection of sand

A process suitable for operation at a mine site for recovering a hydrocarbon from a hydrocarbon bearing sand comprising the steps of mixing a chemical additive with a chemical composition and with a hydrocarbon bearing sand containing hydrocarbon and residual solids including clay, at a temperature to form a slurry. The chemical composition comprises an aqueous phase and a minor amount of a chemical agent selected from the group consisting of at least one ethoxylated alkylphenol compound, at least one ethoxylated dialkylphenol compound, MIBC, SC-177, Petronate HL, Calcium Lignosulfonate, NaOH and mixtures thereof. The slurry is conditioned and aerated to produce essentially sludge-free tailings and a mixture of hydrocarbon, aqueous phase and residual solids including clay. The process further comprises the step of separating in a short-residence time apparatus the mixture of the hydrocarbon, the aqueous phase and the residual solids including clay from the essentially sludge-free tailings.

A process for preparing a water continuous emulsion from heavy crude fraction. A process for preparing a double emulsion.

Process for preparing a water continuous emulsion from heavy crude

A process for preparing an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion and removing contaminants from a contaminated hydrocarbon. The process comprises mixing a contaminated hydrocarbon with a reactant and an emulsifying composition. Contaminants are removed from the contaminated hydrocarbon either during the mixing, after the mixing, or during the combustion of the mixture, or after combustion of the mixture such as from combustion flue gases.

Preparation of oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion and removing contaminants

A process for converting heavy hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons. The process comprises forming an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion and feeding the formed emulsion into an ultrasonic reactor wherein heavy hydrocarbons are converted into lighter hydrocarbons.

Converting heavy hydrocarbons into lighter hydrocarbons using ultrasonic

A process for producing bitumen employing a borehole that has been drilled into a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon. A void space is created at the bottom of the borehole. A bundle of spring-loaded guide tubes is inserted through the borehole and into the void space. Each guide tube is enclosed with a smaller diameter flexible tube that is connected to a source of an emulsifying composition comprising an aqueous phase and an emulsifying agent. The emulsifying agent comprises first and a second ethoxylated alkylphenol compounds wherein at least 1% by weight include more than 100 ethoxy groups. The emulsifying composition is released through the flexible tubes to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion in the reservoir. The oil-in-aqueous emulsion is removed from the reservoir.

Process for producing bitumen

A process for the preparation of low-viscosity improved stable crude oil transport emulsions. The process comprises producing a hydrocarbon crude, and mixing the produced hydrocarbon crude with an emulsifying composition(s) which contains water and is capable of assisting the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion. The amount of the emulsifying composition(s) that is mixed with the produced hydrocarbon crude is sufficient to form an oil-in-water emulsion having water content of from about 10 percent to about 60 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for allowing the transport of the formulated oil-in-water emulsion.

Preparation of low-viscosity improved stable crude oil transport

A process for the production of an oil-in-water emulsion for pipeline transmission. The process comprises producing a hydrocarbon crude, and mixing the produced hydrocarbon crude with an emulsifying composition(s) which contains water and is capable of assisting the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion when the temperature of the mixture of produced hydrocarbon crude and emulsifying composition(s) is from about 100.degree. F. to about 200.degree. F. The amount of the emulsifying composition(s) that is mixed with the produced hydrocarbon crude is sufficient to form an oil-in-water emulsion having water content of from about 15 percent to about 60 percent by weight water and a viscosity sufficiently low for pipeline transmission. The process additionally comprises shearing and mixing the mixture of produced hydrocarbon crude and emulsifying composition(s) when the mixture is at a temperature of from about 100.degree. F. to about 200.degree. F. to form an oil-in-water emulsion.

Preparation of improved stable crude oil transport emulsions

A process for recovering oil from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir having a hydrocarbon and penetrated by a wellbore. The process comprises injecting through the wellbore and into the subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir an emulsifying composition containing an aqueous phase and a minor amount of an emulsifying agent such that the emulsifying composition contacts at least a portion of the hydrocarbon to form an oil-in-aqueous phase emulsion within the subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir.

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Broken Arrow, OK, United States of America

Daniel P Rimmer