EA011525B1 - Method for preparing and transporting highly viscous oils by pipeline - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to the oil industry. The inventive method for preparing oil for transportation is carried out in an accumulation tank and consists in activating the oil in the area of reception thereof by a laser radiation, whose power is equal to or greater than 0.01W for 1 sec and in additionally activating said oil at the pipeline intermediate stations during the transportation thereof. Said invention makes it possible to decrease the oil viscosity, reduce the pipeline operating costs and to increase the operating rate thereof.

Description

The invention relates to the oil industry and can be used in the field of long-distance transport of high-viscosity oils through pipelines.

Prior art

A known method of preparation and transportation through the pipeline of highly viscous oils, including heating oil at the main and intermediate stations (Gubin V.Ye., Gubin V.V. Pipeline transportation of oil and oil products. M .: Nedra, 1982, p. 155).

There is also known a method of preparing and pumping highly viscous oils, including the creation of a near-wall annular stream of transported oil and the irradiation of an oil stream by laser action (USSR author's certificate No. 1373970, class E16 Ό1 / 16, E21 B43 / 00, 1986).

However, the decrease in viscosity as well as the transportation of oil in the peripheral flow significantly limits the operating mode, including the capacity of the pipeline, does not contribute to reducing the cost of its operation.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The present invention is to increase the capacity of the pipeline and reduce operating costs during transportation of high-viscosity oils for long distances.

The need for oil heating at the head and intermediate stations every 25–150 km complicates the method known from the prior art and does not provide for a profound change in the properties of the oil. The intermediate station of the trunk pipeline consumes from 3 to 5 vol.% Of the pumped oil for heating oil and its own needs.

The decrease in viscosity, as well as the transportation of oil in the peripheral flow, inherent in the second method, significantly limits the operating mode, including the throughput capacity of the pipeline, does not contribute to reducing the cost of its operation.

The technical result from the use of the invention is to reduce the viscosity of the transported oil to 20% or more relative to the viscosity of the oil, not processed by the present method, which leads to an increase in throughput of the pipeline. At the same time, the estimated reduction in operating costs for the pipeline with a capacity of 8 million tons / year is 937.76 thousand dollars. US / year, including (thous. US dollars / year) for maintenance 78.46; electricity - 747.2; other expenses - 112.1. By reducing the loss of oil for heating, 147.83 thousand m ^{3 of} oil per year is saved.

The objective of the invention and the technical result is achieved by the fact that in the method of preparation and transportation of high-viscosity oils through the pipeline, laser treatment of the oil is carried out before the oil is pumped into the pipeline in the zone of its receipt into the storage tank, and laser radiation is used at least with power and exposure 0.01 W and 1 s, respectively, from the storage tank treated oil is fed to the entrance to the pipeline, and during transportation the oil is additionally subjected to the same laser impact at one or more intermediate stations of the pipeline.

The best embodiment of the invention

The invention is as follows.

The production of oil wells in the form of highly viscous oil is served in a free stream to a storage tank, where in the intake zone oil is treated with laser radiation, at least with a power and exposure of 0.01 W and 1 s, respectively. In each case, the processing parameters of the outflowing oil stream are determined experimentally, since the change in viscosity depends on the composition of the oil and its properties.

For this, the direction of radiation in preferred planes relative to the oil flow in the reservoir is chosen experimentally.

To measure the viscosity of the test oil (both the original and the treated), a widely used method is used, based on its expiration from the capillary.

The oil processed in the storage tank is fed from it to the entrance to the main pipeline, through which the product is transported. When establishing the need for oil in the transportation process is additionally exposed to the above effects at one or more intermediate stations of the pipeline.

Example 1

Extracted highly viscous oil of natural composition is processed by laser radiation with a power of 0.01 W and an exposure of 1/60 min or 15 min or 30 min (versions).

Example 2

Oil is the same, but different than in example 1, the composition is processed by laser radiation with a power of 0.02 W and exposure, as in example 1.

Example 3

The same oil, but different from that of examples 1 and 2, of the composition, is processed by laser radiation with a power of 0.03 W and exposure as in example 1.

The numerical values of viscosity according to the processing parameters in examples 1-3 are given in the table. Moreover, as is often practiced, the values of relative viscosity are given, which is expressed by the ratio of the viscosity of the crude oil (not activated) to the viscosity of the treated oil (activated), calculated under the same conditions of definition.

Example, No Option No Laser power, W Exposure, min Relative viscosity one 1.1 0.01 1/60 1.10 1.2 0.01 15 1.15 1.3 0.01 thirty 1.14 2 2.1 0.02 1/60 1.15 2.2 0.02 15 1.28 2.3 0.02 thirty 1.26 3 3.1 0.03 1/60 1.30 3.2 ‘ 0.03 15 1.40 3.3 0.03 thirty 1.38

As follows from this table, after the laser treatment of oil according to the present invention, its viscosity is reduced to 20% or more compared with the viscosity of the original product, which is caused by a change in the structure of oil, rupture of intermolecular bonds under the action of physical activation.

Industrial Applicability

In industry there is a real need to reduce the viscosity of oil, which is directly or indirectly associated with a number of other properties that are very important for the transportation of oil, depending on the structure of the liquid. These are heat capacity, thermal conductivity, surface tension, dissolving ability, shear strength, freezing point, etc. In this connection, a decrease in viscosity causes a change in the properties of oil, which contributes to reducing the cost of operating pipelines and increasing their productivity.

From the description of the invention it is obvious how the proposed method relating to this task can be used in industry, namely in the specified field of long-distance transport of highly viscous oils through main pipelines for which the invention is intended by means of the material means and technology disclosed in the patent materials.

Claims (1)

CLAIM The method of preparation and transportation by pipeline of highly viscous oils, including the processing of oil by laser irradiation, characterized in that the treatment is carried out before the injection of oil into the pipeline in the zone of its receipt in the storage tank, using laser radiation, at least, power and exposure 0, 01 W and 1 s, respectively, from the storage tank treated oil is fed to the entrance to the pipeline, and during transportation the oil is additionally subjected to the same laser effect on one and whether several intermediate stations of the pipeline.