Chevron U.s.a. Inc.

Chevon U.s.a. Inc.

Lyman Arnold Young

Dennis John O'Rear

Sujin Yean

Darrell Lynn Gallup

Russell Evan Cooper

Huping Luo

William L Schinski

Daniel Chinn

Lin Li

Zhen Zhou

Shabbir Husain

Brian Christopher Llewellyn

Graham J Forder

Alice Zunqing He

Matthew Bernard Zielinski

Mark Anthony Emanuele

Dennis John O'rear

A crude oil which contains at least 0.1 wt % unstable sulfur compounds is treated in a reaction zone at low temperature to convert at least 50 wt % of the unstable sulfur compounds contained therein. The reaction and removal of sulfur from the crude may be facilitated by contacting the crude oil with a catalytic material in the presence of a stripping fluid.

Removing unstable sulfur compounds from crude oil

Methods and systems relate to the in-situ removal of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, etc., from produced fluids such as gases and crudes from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation. A sufficient amount of a fixing agent is injected into formation with a dilution fluid. The fixing agent reacts with the heavy metals forming precipitate, or is extracted heavy metals into the dilution fluid as soluble complexes. In one embodiment, the heavy metal precipitates remain in the formation. After the recovery of the produced fluid, the dilution fluid containing the heavy metal complexes is separated from the produced fluid, generating a treated produced fluid having a reduced concentration of heavy metals. In one embodiment, the dilution fluid is water, and the wastewater containing the heavy metal complexes after recovery can be recycled by injection into a reservoir.

In-situ method and system for removing heavy metals from produced fluids

Trace amount levels of non-volatile mercury in crude oil are reduced by contacting the crude oil with a water stream containing at least a monatomic water-soluble sulfur species such as sulfides and hydrosulfides. The non-volatile mercury is extracted into the water phase forming a mercury rich wastewater, yielding a treated crude oil having at less than 50% of the original non-volatile mercury level. The wastewater can disposed or recycled by injection into a reservoir. In one embodiment, the water stream consists essentially of produced water.

Process, method, and system for removing mercury from fluids

Trace levels of mercury in a natural gas are reduced by scrubbing the natural gas in an absorber with an aqueous solution comprising a water-soluble sulfur compound. The water-soluble sulfur compound reacts with a least a portion of the mercury in the natural gas to produce a treated natural gas with a reduced concentration of mercury, and a mercury containing sulfur-depleted solution which can be disposed by injection into a (depleted) underground formation. The produced water extracted with the natural gas from the underground formation can be recycled for use as the scrubbing solution. In one embodiment, a fresh source of water-soluble sulfur compound as feed to the absorber can be generated on-site by reacting an elemental sulfur source with a sulfur reagent in produced water.

Trace element levels of heavy metals in crude oil are reduced by contacting the crude oil with an oxidizing agent, extracting heavy metals into a water phase for subsequent separation from the crude oil. The oxidizing agent is selected from the group of hydroperoxides, organic peroxides, inorganic peracids and salts thereof, organic peracids and salts thereof, and ozone. In one embodiment, the oxidizing agent converts heavy metals into the heavy metal cations in a water-oil emulsion, which can be subsequently separated from the crude oil, for a treated crude oil having reduced levels of heavy metals. In one embodiment, at least a complexing agent can be added to facilitate the removal by forming soluble heavy metal complexes in the water phase.

Process, method, and system for removing heavy metals from fluids

Trace element levels of heavy metals such as mercury in crude oil are reduced by contacting the crude oil with an oxidant such as oxyhalites, converting elemental mercury into heavy metal cations for subsequent separation from the crude oil. In an improved method for the removal of mercury, at least a complexing agent is added to convert the heavy metal cations into soluble heavy metal complexes in a water phase, which can be separated from the crude oil, for a treated crude oil having reduced levels of heavy metals. In one embodiment, the complexing agent is selected from the group of metal halides.

Trace element levels of heavy metals in crude oil are reduced by contacting the crude oil with an oxidizing agent, converting heavy metals into heavy metal cations for subsequent separation from the crude oil. At least a complexing agent is added to convert the heavy metal cations into soluble heavy metal complexes in a water phase, which can be separated from the crude oil, for a treated crude oil having reduced levels of heavy metals. In one embodiment, the complexing agent is selected from the group of metal halides, and the oxidizing agent is selected from the group of organic peracids, inorganic peracids and salts thereof.

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San Ramon, CA, United States of America

Lyman Arnold Young