The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 2014
Filed:
Nov. 19, 2010
Sujin Yean, Houston, TX (US);
Darrell Lynn Gallup, Vancouver, WA (US);
Lyman Young, Richmond, CA (US);
Dennis John O'rear, Petaluma, CA (US);
Sujin Yean, Houston, TX (US);
Darrell Lynn Gallup, Vancouver, WA (US);
Lyman Young, Richmond, CA (US);
Dennis John O'Rear, Petaluma, CA (US);
Chevron U.S.A. Inc., San Ramon, CA (US);
Abstract
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.