Evaporation dehydrator

Patent · Tue Aug 06 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:6505165

Bland, L

A method and apparatus for the treatment of oilfield heavy oil emulsions is provided. The method utilizes, in combination, the steps of evaporation, vapor/liquid separation, and solids settling to dehydrate, degassify and remove solids from the heavy oil emulsion and produce oil having less than 0.5% by volume basic solids and water. The apparatus comprises an insulated, horizontal, cylindrical vessel. Mounted in the upper end of the vessel chamber is an inclined, tubular member having a closed upper end and an open lower end. At its closed end, the member forms a receiving chamber. A mechanical foam breaker extends transversely across the interior of the tubular member, downstream of the chamber. A stack of angularly inclined, heated trays, arranged in zigzag fashion, are positioned beneath the tubular member, to provide an elongate flowpath. The lower end of the tubular member is positioned to feed onto the upper end of the first tray. The flowpath formed by the stack of trays terminates at a level above the bottom of the vessel, so that a quiescent settling sump is provided by the base of the vessel. The vessel includes a feed inlet opening into the receiving chamber, a vapor outlet leading from the top of said vessel, and liquid and solids outlets leading from the sump. A stream of pre-heated heavy oil emulsion is fed to the receiving chamber, wherein part of the contained water in the vapor form breaks out. The foaming stream is contained by the tubular member and is substantially disintegrated by the foam breaker. The stream then issues onto the upper end of the stack of trays and is heated as it passes as a shallow, broad layer over the trays, to gradually evaporate the remaining water from the emulsion and solids. The dehydrated solids are settled out in the sump, leaving oil containing less than 0.5% basic solids and water.

• Assignee: Murphy Oil Company Limited (Canada)
• Patent Number(s): US 4533366
• OSTI ID: 6505165
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
COLLOIDS
DEGASSING
DEHYDRATION
DEHYDRATORS
DESIGN
DISPERSIONS
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATION
FIELD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OIL WELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
SOLIDS
WATER
WELL RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
WELLS