Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Kevin John Grice

Dennis John O'Rear

Russell Evan Cooper

Thomas Hoelen

Vijay Ramchandra Pradhan

Disclosed is a process to remove neutrally buoyant metal particles composed of solid particles and droplets of oil from water such as produced water from petroleum production or refinery wastewater. In one aspect, the water is contacted with oleophilic adsorbent materials which adsorb the neutrally buoyant metal particles. Also disclosed is a process for removing metal particles from a fluid volume that includes crude oil and/or condensate. The fluid volume is washed with a volume of water to form a volume of wastewater, thereby transferring at least a portion of the metal particles from the fluid into the wastewater. The volume of wastewater including the transferred metal particles is then contacted with an oleophilic adsorbent material wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles are adsorbed by the adsorbent material. The adsorbent material is then separated from the wastewater. Finally, the treated wastewater is used to wash the crude and/or condensate.

Processes for removing metal particles from water

Hydroprocessing facilities may operate for extended periods of time before detection of mercury in the inlet facilities, as mercury adsorbs onto the metallic pipelines used to transport the hydrocarbon fluids, e.g., gas, produced waters, from the wells to processing facilities ('flowlines'). Once the pipelines become 'saturated' with mercury, mercury will breakthrough and be detected at the inlet facilities. A mercury management/control scheme is disclosed wherein a chemical treatment step using aqueous sulfidic solution is integrated into a progressive pigging plan to clean the pipeline, managing mercury accumulation in the pipeline for a reduced mercury concentration in the fluid exiting the flowlines.

Process, method, and system for removing mercury from pipelines

Oil is recovered from a mercury containing Hg-containing solids containing abradants by mixing the solids with a sulfidic compound in a molar ratio of sulfur compound to mercury from 5:1 to 5,000:1, and the sulfidic compound when dissolved in water, yields S2-, SH&#x2014;, Sx2-, or SxH&#x2014; anions, and optionally a solvent, forming a mixture. The mixture is then separated to recover a first phase containing treated oil in water, and a second phase containing treated abradants having a reduced concentration of mercury. In one embodiment, the treated abradants contain less than 100 ppmw mercury. The abradants are provided by removing at least a portion of a mercury-containing coating from a surface by abradant blasting, laser ablation, laser thermal desorption, and sponge jet blasting.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Kevin John Grice