Baker Hughes Corporation

Baker Hughes Holdings LLC

Ksenija Babic

Jerry J Weers

Tran Minh Nguyen

Jianzhong Yang

Jian Zou

Zhenning Gu

A chemically modified polysaccharide additive may be introduced to a wastewater stream in an effective amount to remove oil-coated particulates and/or heavy metal contaminants from the wastewater stream. The chemically modified polysaccharide includes at least one sulfur-containing moiety and/or nitrogen-containing moiety and the contaminants may be removed by using this chemically modified polysaccharide to capture the contaminants and separating out the captured contaminants.

Methods and compositions for removing contaminants from wastewater streams

It has been discovered that metals can be removed or transferred from a hydrocarbon phase to a water phase in an emulsion breaking process by using a composition that contains a demulsifier (for instance, an oxyalkylated alkyl resin and/or a crosslinked polypropylene glycol), a surfactant, a diketone and a solvent (for instance an aromatic solvent). The method may also include introducing a hydroxyl carboxylic acid and/or at least one mineral acid to reduce the pH of the desalter wash water. The method permits transfer of metals into the aqueous phase with little or no hydrocarbon phase undercarry into the aqueous phase. The composition is particularly useful in treating crude oil emulsions, and in removing iron therefrom.

Additives to enhance metal removal in refinery desalting processes

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Katy, TX, United States of America

Ksenija Babic