Conocophillips Company

Other

Liquidpower Specialty Products Inc.

Phillips 66 Company

Conoco Inc.

Liquidpower Specialty Power Specialty Products, Inc.

Lubrizol Speciality Products, Inc.

Lubrizol Specialty Products, Inc.

Kenneth W Smith

Ray L Johnston

Stuart N Milligan

William Franklin Harris, Jr

Timothy L Burden

Wayne Reid Dreher

Wayne R Dreher

Bruce R Baker

Wayne Reid Dreher, Jr

Vincent S Anderson

Richard D Creech

Wolfgang Klesse

Gerold Schmitt

Zhiyi Bao

Katrina M Labude

John Wey

Dwijen Kumar Banerjee

Michael L Olechnowicz

Allan Browne

A flow improver comprising a plurality of core-shell particles that can be formed by emulsion polymerization. The core of the core-shell particles can include a drag reducing polymer, while the shell of the particles can include repeat units of a hydrophobic compound and an amphiphilic compound. The flow improver can demonstrate increased pumping stability over conventionally prepared latex flow improvers.

Core-shell flow improver

A drag reducing composition comprising at least one non-polyalphaolefin polymer having an average particle size in the range of from about 5 to about 800 micrometers. The non-polyalphaolefin polymer can initially be formed via emulsion polymerization. The initial polymer particles can then be at least partially consolidated and then reduced in size and suspended in a carrier fluid. The resulting drag reducing composition can be added to a hydrocarbon-containing fluid to decrease the pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid through a conduit.

Disperse non-polyalphaolefin drag reducing polymers

A method of producing a polymer latex drag reducer. The method begins by forming an aqueous solution comprising a surfactant, a buffer and water. The method then forms an organic solution comprising a monomer and a co-stabilizer. The aqueous solution and the organic solution are mixed to form an emulsion. The emulsion is then subjecting to a high shear device to produce a miniemulsion, wherein the monomers are broken into small droplets followed by polymerizing the miniemulsion with the addition of an initiator, wherein a nucleation occurs in the small monomer droplets.

Miniemulsion polymerization to prepare drag reducers

A process for preparing a drag reducing polymer which is to be added to a liquid hydrocarbon. The liquid hydrocarbon has an asphaltene content of at least about 3 weight percent and an API gravity of less than about 26&#xb0;. The drag reducing polymer can comprise the residues of a monomer having at least one heteroatom. Treatment of the liquid hydrocarbon with the drag reducing polymer allows a reduction in pressure drop associated with turbulent flow of the liquid hydrocarbon through a conduit.

Drag reduction of asphaltenic crude oils

A method for drag reducing low molecular weight liquids is provided. More specifically, a method to separate drag reducers from low molecular weight liquids, such as hydrocarbons and anhydrous ammonia, is provided.

Drag reducing polymers for low molecular weight liquids applications

A method of introducing a drag reducing polymer into a pipeline such that the friction loss associated with the turbulent flow though the pipeline is reduced by suppressing the growth of turbulent eddies. The drag reducing polymer is introduced into a liquid hydrocarbon having an asphaltene content of at least 3 weight percent and an API gravity of less than about 26&#xb0; to thereby produce a treated liquid hydrocarbon. The treated liquid hydrocarbon does not have a viscosity less than the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon prior to treatment with the drag reducing polymer. Additionally, the drag reducing polymer is added to the liquid hydrocarbon in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 ppmw.

A method of preparing a drag reducing polymer wherein the drag reducing polymer is able to be injected into a pipeline, such that the friction loss associated with the turbulent flow through the pipeline is reduced by suppressing the growth of turbulent eddies. The drag reducing polymer is injected into a pipeline of liquid hydrocarbon hydrocarbon having an asphaltene content of at least 3 weight percent and an API gravity of less than about 26&#xb0; to thereby produce a treated liquid hydrocarbon wherein the viscosity of the treated liquid hydrocarbon is not less than the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon prior to treatment with the drag reducing polymer. The drag reducing polymer has a solubility parameter within 4 MPaof the solubility parameter of the liquid hydrocarbon. The drag reducing polymer is also added to the liquid hydrocarbon in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 ppmw.

A system for reducing pressure drop associated with the turbulent flow of asphaltenic crude oil through a conduit. The crude oil has a high asphaltene content and/or a low API gravity. Such reduction in pressure drop is achieved by treating the asphaltenic crude oil with a high molecular weight drag reducing polymer that can have a solubility parameter within about 20 percent of the solubility parameter of the heavy crude oil. The drag reducing polymer can also comprise the residues of monomers having at least one heteroatom.

Methods and apparatus relate to processes and systems that introduce microwaves into mixtures containing hydrocarbons. The microwaves cause heating of the hydrocarbons in order to upgrade the hydrocarbons. Such upgrading occurs after recovering the hydrocarbons from within a formation and results in lowering viscosity of the hydrocarbons to enable transportation of the hydrocarbons to offsite locations, such as a refinery.

Wellhead hydrocarbon upgrading using microwaves

A method of introducing a drag reducing polymer into a pipeline such that the friction loss associated with the turbulent flow though the pipeline is reduced by suppressing the growth of turbulent eddies. The drag reducing polymer is introduced into a liquid hydrocarbon having an asphaltene content of at least 3 weight percent and/or an API gravity of less than about 26&#xb0; to thereby produce a treated liquid hydrocarbon. The treated liquid hydrocarbon does not have a viscosity less than the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon prior to treatment with the drag reducing polymer. Additionally, the drag reducing polymer is added to the liquid hydrocarbon in the range from about 0.1 to about 500 ppmw.

Low-viscosity drag reducers, systems for delivering low-viscosity drag reducers, and methods of making low-viscosity drag reducers are disclosed. The low-viscosity drag reducers have a viscosity less than 350 cP at a shear rate of 250 secand a temperature of 60&#xb0; P. This low-viscosity allows the drag reducers to be delivered through a long and relatively small diameter conduit of a subsea umbilical line without an unacceptable level of pressure drop or plugging of the conduit. The low-viscosity drag reducers can be delivered to a subsea flowline carrying fluids produced from a subterranean formation to 10 thereby provide significant drag reduction in the flow line.

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Tonkawa, OK, United States of America

Kenneth W Smith