Demulsification of a crude oil middle phase emulsion

Patent · Tue Mar 27 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6644323

Duke, R B

The middle phase emulsion of a crude oil emulsion produced by a surfactant flooding of an oil reservoir is demulsified by contacting it with a water-soluble alkali metal hydroxide in an amount and under conditions sufficient to cause the hydrolysis of the middle phase emulsion and its subsequent separation into phases, wherein one of the phases is primarily an oil phase. The oil phase is then separated and, thereafter, can be further demulsified by demetalizing the oil by contacting it with a carboxylic acid or an amine salt of a carboxylic acid. It may be desirable to concurrently or subsequently treat the oil with an organic base, which can also be an amine demulsifier, to obtain a pH of from about 7 to about 9 in the final oil phase recovered from the acid demetalization step.

• Assignee: Marathon Oil Company
• Patent Number(s): US 4439345
• OSTI ID: 6644323
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DEMULSIFICATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PH VALUE
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
WELLS