Instituto Mexicano Del Petroleo

Juan De La Cruz Clavel López

Flavio Salvador Vázquez Moreno

Jorge Arturo Aburto Anell

Alfonso López Ortega

César Andrés Flores Sandoval

Edgar Iván Hernández Carbajal

César Bernal Huicochea

Eugenio Alejandro Flores Oropeza

Gerardo Zavala Olivares

Enrique Cevada Maya

Fernando Alvarez Ramírez

Ricardo Cerón Camacho

Beatriz Zapata Rendón

Rafael Martínez Palou

Alba Adriana Vallejo Cardona

Romeo Jesús Reyes Ávila

Fernando Álvarez Ramírez

María De Lourdes Araceli Mosqueira Mondragón

Rodrigo De Jesús García Jiménez

Luis Manuel Quej Aké

Mario Ramírez De Santiago

Mario Ramiréz De Santiago

The present invention is related to the application of terpolymers based on alkyl acrylates as defoamers of gasified crude oils, with densities between 10 and 40&#xb0; API. The evaluation of terpolymers based on alkyl acrylates at conditions similar to those of gas-liquid separators has shown that the terpolymers are efficient as inhibitors of the foam formation in heavy and super-heavy crude oil, abating the foam between 15 and 50% faster than in non-dosed crude oil (blank). Even some acrylic terpolymers exhibited a greater efficiency as defoamers than that of commercial silicon-based polymers, which promoting the defoaming only 20-25% faster than the blank collapse. The employ of silicones as defoamers presents serious problems as the formation of deposits and the deactivation of catalysts in the refining processes. This situation has provoked that refineries in Mexico and a worldwide ban the application of this kind of inorganic polymers, and new silicon-free defoaming agents are required. Therefore, the new silicon free defoamers object of this invention represent an advantageous option to replace the silicon based defoamers employed nowadays by the petroleum industry.

Formulation of terpolymers based on alkyl acrylates employed as antifoaming of gasified heavy and super-heavy crude oils

Nowadays, one of the major problems of the oil industry is the presence of large amounts of water and salts, which cannot be efficiently removed by conventional dehydrating polymers. In addition, the acid stimulation operations of petroleum wells cause the chemical degradation of demulsifiers such as polyethers and phenolic resins, reducing drastically their efficiency as water and salt removers. Based on aforementioned, a series of new copolymers has been developed; these copolymers are combinations of an acrylic and an aminoacrylic monomer and they are synthesized by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization (under starved feed conditions), which ensures both the homogeneity of the different chains as well as the randomness of the monomers distribution. The solutions of one of these random copolymers have shown an efficiency similar or superior to combinations of two or three block copolymers (formulations), when they are applied in light or heavy crude oils. The acrylic-aminoacrylic copolymers show good performance as water/oil emulsion breaker initiators, coalescence agents of water droplets and clarifiers of the remaining aqueous phase. In addition, the chemical structure of the acrylic copolymers confers resistance to degradation induced by abrupt pH changes when acid stimulation operations of wells are performed.

Demulsifiers for crude oil based on acrylic-aminoacrylic random copolymers of controlled molecular mass

Embodiments of the present invention provide for efficient methods and processes for preparing ionic amino acid esters from a specific synthesis route. The disclosed embodiments consist of a single reaction step: reacting a natural or synthetic unprotected amino acid with an aliphatic, branched or aromatic fatty alcohol of even or odd number of carbon atoms from 6 to 20 with or without unsaturation(s), in stoichiometric amounts, in the presence of an organic acid (HX) like carboxylate, mesylate, tosylate or sulfonate, employed as catalyst and under conventional heating (CC) of 1 to 3 hours at a temperature in the range of approximately 60 to 150&#xb0; C. and pressure the range of approximately 0 to approximately 250 psi; the product obtained is cooled and recrystallized from ethanol.

Process for obtaining ionic amino acid esters

A process allows working with viscous petroleum referred to as 'heavy and extra heavy crudes' such as 20 to 6&#xb0; API by adding an appropriate biosurfactant to an aqueous phase containing a biosurfactant active compound. The surfactant can be alkyl glycosides, glycerol esters and alkyl betaines. The result is the formation of a stable crude/water emulsion even with salt present therein.

Process of preparing improved heavy and extra heavy crude oil emulsions by use of biosurfactants in water and product thereof

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Mexico City, Mexico

Juan De La Cruz Clavel López