Conocophillips Company

Phillips 66 Company

Peter Nelson Slater

Bruce W Gerhold

Wesley R Qualls

Jimmie J Straw

Ricky Eugene Snelling

Christopher M Widner

Kent E Jeffers

Jeff Michael Sheremata

Steven A Owen

Disclosed are systems and methods for processing liquefied natural gas (LNG). A LNG production system may include a contaminant removal process with one or more sets of sorbent beds co-loaded with a metal sulfide sorbent and/or metal oxide sorbent. In some examples, the contaminant removal process may include one or more molecular sieve dehydrators co-loaded with a 3A or 4A sieve and a 3A or 4A sieve impregnated with silver. The one or more sets of sorbent beds may be arranged at various locations throughout the LNG production system including upstream of or downstream of heavy component removal beds having activated carbon. In some instances, the LNG production system may include a regeneration process for moving heated fluid, typically feed gas, through a first heavy component removal bed while maintaining other heavy component removal beds online to reduce downtime for the LNG production system, increase production efficiency, and decrease an amount of greenhouse gases released from defrost and flare-offs.

Contaminant removal with catalyst beds for LNG processing

A process for removing metals and chelators from SAGD liner flowback that can be implemented at the wellhead using temporary tankage and equipment. In the first step, caustic is added to the flowback until the concentration of hydroxyl ion is high enough for the metals (Fe, Ca, Mg) to dissociate from the metal-chelate complexes and precipitate as hydroxides. In the second step, hydrogen peroxide is added and allowed to react until all of the chelator molecules are oxidized and decomposed. Once treated, the flowback can proceed to the CPF.

Decomplexation of chelated hardness at high pH

Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) equipment including steam generating equipment may be cleaned using supercritical carbon dioxide. Supercritical carbon dioxide is a fluid state of carbon dioxide where it is held at or above its critical temperature and critical pressure. Supercritical carbon dioxide has exceptional solvent qualities that can dissolve, soften, or dislodge the refractory fouling deposits in the SAGD equipment.

Cleaning SAGD equipment with supercritical CO2

A method for determining an optimal radio frequency to break an emulsion comprises: analyzing an oil and water interface of an emulsion; defining the oil and water interface at a molecular level; simulating oscillation of molecules at the oil and water interface under different radio frequencies; and determining an optimal radio frequency to break the emulsion.

Method to tune radio frequencies to break emulsions

Methods and systems relate to treating an oil-in-water emulsion with an electron beam to decrease aromatic content therein for subsequent recovery of diesel products with upgraded cetane number. The method includes passing the emulsion formed of water and a hydrocarbon stream, such as light cycle oil, through an electron beam. The electron beam causes radiolysis of the water into intermediates that react with and open rings of aromatic compounds from the hydrocarbon stream. Separation of the water from the emulsion after the treating with the electron beam provides the diesel products, which may be hydroprocessed to remove oxygenates.

E-beam treatment to increase cetane

A method and/or apparatus for efficiently operating a combustion device including at least one control zone, with each control zone including at least one burner assembly, is disclosed and includes a) individually supplying fuel to each of the burner assemblies in each of the control zones, b) individually measuring a separate combustion characteristic of the collective combusted gas from each of the burner assemblies in each of the control zones, and c) individually adjusting the flow of air to each of the burner assemblies in response to the value of the combustion characteristic corresponding to each of the control zones to keep the value of each separate combustion characteristic within a predetermined range. In a preferred embodiment, primary air and secondary air are separately supplied and controlled to each of the burner assemblies in each of the control zones in response to the value of the combustion characteristic corresponding to each of the control zones.

Growing community of inventors

Bartlesville, OK, United States of America

Peter Nelson Slater