JPH0247194A - Viscous hydrocarbon/water emulsion - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve burning efficiency of viscous hydrocarbon, by re-emulsifying natural hydrocarbon material which is produced by degassing hydrocarbon/aqueous emulsion and adjusting concentration difference between hydrocarbon and water.

CONSTITUTION: By supplying natural viscous hydrocarbon material which is taken out of an active oil field 12 with a deep well pump 14 and surface active agent to a static mixer 18 through a flow station 16, hydrocarbon/aqueous emulsion in which moisture content is more than 15%, viscosity at 122°F is less than 5000cPs, oil droplet diameter is less than 300μm. By supplying the emulsion to a degassing device 20 and degassing more than 60% of it under pressure more than 20psig and temperature more than 95°F, emulsion whose gas content is less than 5std.cubic ft/barrel is provided. After the emulsion is supplied to a separator 22, and adjusted such that concentrate difference between hydrocarbon and water is more than 2×10^-3g/cm³ at a temperature T of 15°C more than that of emulsifier and less than a clouding point, natural hydrocarbon material is separated. Then, hydrocarbon/aqueous emulsion which is provided by supplying the hydrocarbon material to a regenerator 24 and adding emulsifier 26 and additive 28 to it is supplied to a combustor 32 and a purifier 34 through a conveyer 30.

COPYRIGHT: (C)1990,JPO

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a method for regenerating and/or treating viscous hydrocarbon materials or preparing them in the form of a hydrocarbon/water emulsion for subsequent processing steps. Regarding the adjustment method.

[Prior Art] Emulsion of hydrocarbon-in water dispersed from viscous hydrocarbon used as combustible fuel
-water emulsions, hereinafter referred to as hydrocarbons/
The best known prior art method for producing water emulsions) is disclosed in British Patent No. 974,042 and US Pat. No. 4,618,348. Prior art related to the combustion of oil/water emulsions and water/oil pore emulsions is also disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 1, No. 4,382.802, No. 3,352,109
No. 3,490,237, and No. 4.08494Q
Disclosed in the issue.

Additionally, prior art relating to methods of producing and transporting hydrocarbon/water emulsions is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,531;
, No. 487,844, No. 3,006,354, No. 3,
No. 425,429, No. 3.467.195, No. 4,2
No. 39,052 and No. 4,249.554.

Furthermore, known techniques relating to emulsions of hydrocarbons in the form of oil/water emulsions and/or water/oil emulsions are disclosed as follows.

Barrett, R.E., et al., “Design and Construction of Drilling Rig for Evaluating Fuel Oil/Water Emulsion Residuals,”
°Design, Con
5 truction and preliminary
Combustion Trials of a Ri
gto Evaluate Re5idual
Fuel-Oil/Water Emulsions,
Battelle M,! ,, Columbus,
0hio.

PB-214260, July 15. 1970゜Reduc on "Reduction of exhaust gas emissions by combustion of fuel oil/water emulsion" by R, Heion et al.
tion of Flue Gas Emission
s by BurningFuel-Oillate
r Emulsions, VGB Kraft
works-technik 1975. 55(2)
, 88-93. [59-Air Pollution
n.

1'nd, Hyg, vol, 84. 1976
, p., 335. No, 84 near g995g
].

“The method disclosed by Moriyama (N, Moriyama) et al.
Oil/water emulsion fuel emulsifier J ”Emulsiryi
ng Agents forOi'1-In-Wate
r Type Emulsion Fuels” (Japanese Patent Publication No. 77-151305, December 1, 1977)
Published on the 5th, Patent Application No. 76/68,530, Filing Date 1
June 11, 976, [5l-FossilFue
ls, vol', 80.197g, l), 145
．． No. 89:8710q]).

Single Droplet on "Single Droplet Combustion of Emulsified Hydrocarbon Fuel II, Comparison of Combustion Characteristics between Oil/Water and Water/Oil Emulsions" by A. Iwama.
Combustions of Emulsiried
Hydrocarbon Fuels, If.

Comparison of Combustion C
haracteristicsBetween O/1
and Wlo Emulsions - Journal of the Fuel Association.

1979, 5111(632):1041-54.
(Japan) [Ches, Abstr.

vol, 93.1980. p, 204. No,
93:50075ul.

July 2, 1980 on “Hydrocarbon Emulsions” published by Rosenberg et al.
Proceedings of the 6th International Fermentation Symposium held in London, Canada from July 0th to July 25th
n of Acinetobacter RAAl1 E
muIsan with Hydr.

carbons” (Advances in Bio
technology, vol,! ItFermen
tation Products, pp, 461-
466, M, Mo.

Young, Ed., 1981).

Murakami (Y, Murakami) Others “Burning of Emulsified Waste Oil”
il Waste”, Osaka Ministry of Industrial Technology Testing, 197
2.23(3), 184-8 [Chem, Abs
tr.

vol, 7g, 1973. p, 222. No
, 61,800t].

"Hydrocar/emulsifier/water emulsion" disclosed by H. Ludewig
bonEmulsifier-11ater, Emu
lsion, East German Patent No. 93°398, Patent Application No. 148.658, [Chem, Abstr.
vol.

80, 1974. p, 150. No. 8553
1y].

Enramann (K, Enzmann) et al. “Preparation on the production of fuel oil/water emulsions”
ofFuel 0ilIn-Flater Emul
sions for Combustion-.

Universal'n Dezintegrator
n Aktivatsiya Tallin 1980.
82-6. (Russ,) from Ref, Z
h.

Khi111980. Abstr, No.
14P334[5l-Fossil Fuelsvo
l, 9L 1980. p, 147.
No. 93:170678q].

``Method and apparatus for producing fuel/water emulsions'' disclosed by Neumeister et al.
Preparing Fuel Water Emul
sions, East German Patent No. DD 216,863.

Patent registration on January 2, 1985, patent application No. 253.5
No. 27.

Application date: July 29, 1983.

Palette (R, E, Barrett) “Re5idual Fu” on “Residual Fuel Oil/Water Emulsion”
el Oil-Water Emulsions, B
attelle M, 1. , Columbus, 0
hio.

PB-189076, Jan, 12.1970° [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] Light viscous hydrocarbons found in Canada, the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and Venezuela typically have a molecular weight of 100,000 to 500 at ambient temperature. , 000cP(cent
It is a liquid having a viscosity of 1 poise) and an API gravity of less than 12.

As used herein, the term "viscous hydrocarbon" means
At a temperature of 122° F., a viscosity of 100 cP, an API gravity of less than 16 (American Petroleum
high metal content, high sulfur content, high asphaltene content, and/or
or high pour point naturally occurring crude oil or bitumens.
) means. During the production of natural crude oil or bitumen, formation water containing undesirable components is generated as a by-product in the final emulsion production step.

In recent years, the properties of these viscous hydrocarbons have limited their use in the current market, so their production methods are by a combination of steam injection and mechanical pumping, mechanical pumping, or mining techniques. However, in order to provide these viscous hydrocarbon resources in large quantities, methods for regenerating, processing, and transporting viscous hydrocarbons are needed to make them suitable raw materials for various products and/or various applications. It is desired to provide a method.

Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing, treating and transporting hydrocarbon/water emulsions and their end uses.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes a step of producing a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion (hereinafter referred to as the first emulsion) made of a naturally produced viscous hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier. The present invention relates to a method for producing a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material. In particular, the hydrocarbon/water emulsion has a water content of at least 15% by weight and a viscosity of 5,000 cP.
(temperature 122'F) and oil droplet size not more than 300 μm, if necessary in the production process, 5 std per barrel of first emulsion.

cubic ft, preferably less than 2 std,
cubic ft.

To produce a defoamed hydrocarbon/water emulsion with a gas content of less than 90%, the pressure should be at least 620 psig and the temperature minimum However, during the defoaming step of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion at 95°F, the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water is equal to temperature T (temperature T is the temperature of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion 2X 10 at a temperature above 15°C and below the cloud point of the emulsifier used to produce the liquid.
−'g/am3 or more, hydrocarbons after defoaming/
By adjusting the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water in the water emulsion, and separating the hydrocarbon/water emulsion whose concentration has been adjusted between the two liquid phases using a separation device at a temperature T. A separation process that regenerates the separated naturally occurring hydrocarbon material and re-emulsifying the separated naturally occurring hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier to create a highly stable second hydrocarbon/water emulsion suitable for transportation. (below,
It is characterized by comprising a re-emulsification step to produce a commercially available emulsion or a second emulsion (referred to as "ORIMUSION" or a commercially available emulsion or second emulsion after its registered trademark name), and a transport step of the second emulsion. do. In the present invention, the separation step of the first emulsion and the regeneration of the commercially available "ORIMULS ION" product are important features. As mentioned above, it is difficult to adequately control emulsion properties since formation water occurs as a by-product with naturally occurring bitumen and/or crude oil. After separating the first emulsion, the second emulsion is “ORIMULSION”.
A product is produced and further adjusted depending on the end use of this second emulsion. Through the separation step, the regenerated water and emulsifier can be fully reused to produce the first emulsion, or a portion thereof can be used in the regeneration step. The preparation of commercial emulsions may also include preparation steps to produce a fuel that is combusted with low sulfur oxide emissions, or for purification as a surplus product.

Additionally, the present invention includes a process step of regenerating the naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon to include a production step of producing a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion from the naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier. . The hydrocarbon/water emulsion has a water content of at least 15%, a viscosity of 5000 cP or less, and a temperature of 122°F.
), and the oil droplet size is 300 μm or less, and in the production process, if necessary, 5
std, cubic ft, less than, preferably 2
In order to obtain a defoamed hydrocarbon/water emulsion of gas-containing jets of less than 90%, the pressure is at least Features a defoaming step of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion at 20 psig and a temperature of at least 95°F.

Furthermore, the method for producing a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to the present invention includes:
The concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water is the temperature T (Temperature T is
15 of the emulsifiers used in the production of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion.
2X 10-3g/cm at temperatures above ℃ and below the cloud point
'The adjustment step of adjusting the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water in the hydrocarbon/water emulsion after defoaming, using a separation device at the temperature T, A natural hydrocarbon material separation process that separates a concentrated hydrocarbon/water emulsion, re-emulsifying the separated natural hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier to create a highly stable secondary material suitable for transportation. and a hydrocarbon/water emulsion separation step consisting of a re-emulsification step to produce an emulsion.

[Function] According to the emulsion processing method according to the present invention, after emulsifying naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbons using a surfactant and collecting them from a plurality of oil wells to a flow station, the first emulsion having various properties is The emulsion is converted into an emulsion with a suitable particle size by a static mixer, and is supplied to a defoaming device, where it is efficiently defoamed. The defoamed emulsion is sent to a separation step and separated into water containing salt and surfactant and hydrocarbon containing surfactant. The water with separated surfactant is then recycled for the production of the first emulsion. The removed salts are also recycled to adjust the concentration of the first emulsion. On the other hand, the regenerated hydrocarbons with surfactants are re-emulsified and reconditioned according to their end use, resulting in a second emulsion with stable properties, which can be transported via a transport device.
Supplied to a combustor or refinery.

In the first emulsion production step, when using a surfactant, the concentration of the surfactant can be reduced by adding an appropriate amount of the above-mentioned additives such as salt, biopolymer, or alkali. A first emulsion having properties can be produced.

In particular, by adding an alkali such as ammonium hydroxide, the hydrogen ion index pH of the emulsion can be adjusted to lθ~12, preferably 11~11°5 to produce a desired first emulsion.

Before the defoaming process, the particle size of the emulsion is adjusted to be small using a static mixer to improve the defoaming efficiency.

Since an emulsion has better defoaming efficiency than a diluted crude oil, defoaming in the form of an emulsion is more preferable.

In order to further improve the defoaming efficiency, it is preferable to increase the working pressure or to use a combination of mechanical and electrostatic separators. Furthermore, when a nonionic surfactant is used as an emulsifier for the formation of the first emulsion, a demulsifier is optionally added, and when an ionic surfactant is used as the emulsifier for the formation of the first emulsion. The defoaming efficiency is improved by adding a demulsifier to adjust the hydrogen ion index.

In the second emulsion generation step, the following processing steps are taken into consideration, for example, depending on whether the second emulsion is used for combustion applications or for purification applications. , the properties of the second emulsion are adjusted according to its use. For combustion applications, the water-soluble salts Na', Ni', and Li+ are added to the emulsion to improve combustion efficiency and reduce the amount of sulfur oxide emissions generated during combustion. , Ca+, Ba
+, Mg+, Fe''' and mixtures thereof shall be added so that the additive/sulfur molar ratio is 0.050 or more, preferably 0.100 or more. It is effective to use a polyvalent metal with a high melting point as an agent.For refining applications, a nonionic surfactant is used to form the second emulsion, along with an alkali such as ammonia. By this,
It acts to remove salts from emulsions and prevent corrosion caused by salts.

[Example] The present invention provides a method for regenerating and/or treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials mined from natural deposits, or a method for preparing hydrocarbon/water emulsions for subsequent processing steps. Regarding.

Effectively, an oil field consists of multiple oil wells that extract viscous hydrocarbons from the ground. Depending on the nature of the oil tank, various oil extraction machines are used to extract viscous hydrocarbons.

For example, for some wells, steam is injected to soak the oil tank to aid regeneration and extraction of viscous material by mechanical pumping; Other oil tanks use deep well pumps to extract oil, making them suitable for downhole hydrocarbon/water emulsion production. It is desirable to use a combination of steam injection and mechanical pumping as described above for any oil well. According to the present invention, considering the viscosity of the hydrocarbon/water emulsion, it is desirable to produce this emulsion as close to the oil well as possible.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic flowchart of a hydrocarbon/water emulsion production facility according to the invention from the oil well to the final user. The production facility IO has a plurality of operating wells I2 with deep well pumps I4 for extracting naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbons from the ground. The viscous material that is the object of the present invention has the following chemical and physical properties.

C: 78.2-85.5% by weight, H: 9.0-10
．． 8% by weight, 0: 0.26-1-1% by weight, N:
0.50-0.70% by weight, S: 2.00-4.
50% by weight, ash: 0.05-0.33% by weight, V
: 5G~1. OOOppm, Ni: 20-50
0ppm, iron: 5~1100pp, Na: 10~
500ppm API specific gravity knee 5.0-16.0, viscosity:
100-5,000,000csL (122°F),
Viscosity: 10-16,000 cSt (210°F), 1
Thermal energy LHV per bond: 15,000
~19,000BTU/LB, Asphaltene: 5.0
The viscous hydrocarbon material reclaimed from the ~25.0 wt. Ru.

In order to feed a hydrocarbon/water emulsion of homogeneous composition to the defoamer, a static mixer is installed upstream of the defoamer.
c m1xer) 18. According to the invention, the first emulsion after defoaming is separated by a separator 22 and further regenerated by a regenerator 24 and adjusted for specific applications. The emulsifier 26 and additives 28 used during regeneration are determined by the particular end use of the emulsion as described below. This highly stable regenerated emulsion is fed by a transport device 30 to a combustor 32 or a purification device 34 . As described above, separation of the first emulsion and commercially available "ORIMULSION"
``Product regeneration is the most distinctive feature of the present invention.Also, as mentioned above, since formation water is produced as a by-product together with naturally produced bitumen and/or crude oil, it is possible to control the emulsion properties at the oil well. However, after separation of the first emulsion, the "ORIIIULS 1011" bioacid is produced and can be adjusted according to the end use.

The water and emulsifier regenerated by the separation step may be reused via line 36 to produce the first emulsion in the oil well, or a portion thereof may be used in the regeneration step.

The viscous hydrocarbon material fed to the defoamer R20 of the present invention must be a hydrocarbon/water emulsion with the following properties:

Water content of at least 15% by weight, viscosity of 5,000 cP or less (temperature 122°F), and oil droplet size of 300 μm or less.

It has been found that hydrocarbon/water emulsions having the above properties can be defoamed efficiently. Suppose that the viscosity of the emulsion is 5.00.
If the temperature exceeds 0 cP (122° F.), the gas will not escape efficiently, and if the oil droplet diameter exceeds 300 μm, the gas will be trapped in the defoaming device and the defoaming efficiency will decrease.

The emulsion processing method according to the invention is designed to produce a hydrocarbon/water emulsion suitable for feeding to a defoaming device for the next processing step.

According to the present invention, emulsions can be produced at multiple locations, depending on the nature of the well, and viscous hydrocarbons are produced. Initial production of the emulsion occurs at the downpole, the top of the well, the flow station, or any combination thereof. For example, if steam is injected into an oil tank in an oil well, the temperature of the dead oil immediately after the steam soak cycle after the volatile components have evaporated will be sufficient to effectively form an emulsion downhole. The temperature is so high that it is impossible to do so. In the case of relatively low viscosity of crude oil, it can be pumped to a flow station without the need for steam injection or emulsion generation.

In addition, the products from individual oil wells are composed of oil and gas components,
They vary in terms of formation water volume and salt concentration.

Therefore, emulsions of various compositions must be controlled so that a homogeneous emulsion product with the above-mentioned properties is fed into the defoaming device. For this reason, it is preferable to generate the emulsion as close to the oil well as possible by utilizing viscosity changes.

Hydrocarbon/water emulsions according to the invention are produced by mixing a mixture of emulsifier and water with a viscous hydrocarbon. As mentioned above, in oil field production facilities, emulsion production is delivered downhole, from the top of the well, from a flow station, or from a combination thereof. Further, preferable additives having a function as an emulsifier include nonionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants and polymers, and/or biosurfactants (biosur4ac).
and mixtures of nonionic surfactants with ions consisting of anions and cations and nonions that combine with alkalis.

As nonionic surfactants, ethoxylated alkylphenols (ethoxylated alkylphenols etc.
hoxylated alkyl phenols),
Ethoxylated alcohols and ethoxylated sorbitan esters
esters). Polymers suitable for use with nonionic surfactants include polysaccharides, polyacrylamides, and cellulose derivatives.
ves).

Suitable biosurfactants or biopolymers also include rhaIIlnolip gua+.
and xanthan gum. Cationic surfactants include quaternary ammonium compounds, ethoxylated amines (ethoxylate amines etho
xylatedamines), amidoamines (ami
do-amines), and mixtures thereof. The anionic surfactant is selected from long chain carboxylic acids, long chain sulfonic acids, sulfates, and mixtures thereof. Alkalies consisting of ammonia, monovalent hydroxides, and mixtures thereof are preferably used in combination with nonionic surfactants. According to the present invention, preferred nonionic surfactants are alkylphenol ethoxylates (
alkyl phenol ethoxylate). If the EO acid content is less than 70%, a water/hydrocarbon emulsion will be produced. To demonstrate the above, three different nonionic surfactants consisting of alkylphenol ethoxylates with EO acid content of 78%, 74%, and 66%, respectively, were used to test the Peruvian Cellogro crude oil with an API gravity of 84. (Cerro Negro
Six emulsions were prepared from Crude. The composition and physical properties of this emulsion are shown in Table 3.

From Table I, it can be seen that as the EO concentration of the emulsifier surfactant decreases, the oil droplet size increases.

Similarly, as the emulsion formation temperature and oil component proportion increase, the oil droplet size increases. Also, due to the low EO concentration, emulsion #6 does not take the form of a hydrocarbon/water emulsion, but rather a water/hydrocarbon emulsion.

It has been found that by adding salt, the concentration of surfactant can be reduced while maintaining the desired emulsion properties. To demonstrate the above content, six samples were prepared from Hamaka Crude having an API gravity of 10.5 using the preferred nonionic surfactant of the present invention, an alkylphenol ethoxylate with 78% EO acid content. An emulsion was prepared. Salt in the form of NaCl was also added to the liquid phase at each of the three surfactant concentrations. The composition and physical properties of these emulsions are shown in Table I+.

From Table II, it can be seen that the addition of salt is effective in forming emulsions and reducing the oil droplet size.

Additionally, it has been found that when using biopolymers combined with the nonionic surfactants of the present invention, the amount of surfactant required to produce the desired emulsion can be reduced. This is demonstrated from Table II+, which shows the use of xanthan gum as the biopolymer.

From Table II+ it can be seen that the biopolymer promotes emulsion formation. Emulsion #3, shown in Table Il+, has free crude oil and is therefore not suitable for the purposes of the present invention.

Table 1v shows the Cerro Negro crude oil (with API gravity 8.4).
Figure 2 shows the properties obtained using alkalis with and without added salt to produce emulsions using Cero Negro Crude.

From Table IV, it can be seen that the amount of ammonium hydroxide (NH,OH) added is important for the desired emulsion formation.

To produce the desired emulsion, the hydrogen ion index (pH) of this emulsion is 10-12, preferably 11-11.5.
Add enough ammonium hydroxide (NH
, OH). Furthermore, high concentrations of salt are found to be counterproductive to emulsion formation.

It has been found that relatively low concentrations of suitable nonionic surfactants used with ammonium hydroxide are useful in improving the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) to produce the desired emulsion.

Table V shows varying surfactant concentrations in emulsions produced using the Cerro Negro crude oil of Table IV.

As mentioned above, when an alkali is used in conjunction with a nonionic surfactant, the desired emulsion can be produced, but the above examples demonstrate the effectiveness of various additives in emulsion production. . Since surfactants are expensive, it is extremely beneficial to limit the concentration of surfactants added.

According to the invention, when produced in an oil well, the emulsion:
It can be generated in a number of ways, as shown in FIGS. 2-5. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, water to which an emulsifier has been added is pumped into the well casing 44 via line 42 by a submersible pump 46 and injected downhole.
The emulsion is sucked up through the production tube 48. A static mixer 50 is provided in the delivery line 52 to homogenize the emulsion.

Table Ml shows the results of emulsion production downhole according to the production method shown in FIG. 2, with and without the use of static mixer 50. The emulsifier used here is alkyl phenol ethoxylate (alkyl ph), which is a nonionic surfactant of the present invention.
enoi ethoxylate).

The API gravity of this crude oil was less than 16.

As is clear from Table Vl, by using a static mixer, emulsions with small particle sizes are obtained.

The static mixer used in the present invention is commercially available under the registered trademark "5ULZER" for this purpose.
5ulzer Bros., was used.

FIG. 3 shows another method of producing emulsions downhole. In FIG. 3, the emulsifier-loaded aqueous solution is injected from line 42' into well casing 44' by submersible pump 46'. Furthermore, this emulsion is
It is drawn off via production tube 48' and fed into a delivery line 52' containing a static mixer 50'.

Table V11 shows the results of the production of emulsions obtained according to the production method of FIG. 3 using crude oil and surfactants similar to those described in FIG.

It can also be seen from FIG. 3 that the oil droplet size can be improved by using a static mixer. Furthermore, it can be seen that in the case of the production method shown in FIG. 3, the emulsion does not have a small particle size as in the production method shown in FIG. Similarly, in the case of the generation method shown in FIG. 3, it can be seen that the pumping efficiency is worse than that of the generation method shown in FIG.

Furthermore, another method for producing an emulsion downhole is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, an aqueous solution with a surfactant is injected into the pump casing between a fixed valve and a moving valve. Pending US Patent Application No. 095,569 is hereby incorporated by reference for the content of this production method. In Figure 4, the aqueous emulsifier solution is injected into the well casing 44'' via line 42'' and then reversed into the pump casing 56 which mixes the crude oil and the aqueous emulsifier solution to produce an emulsion. It is sent through the stop valve 54. Further, this emulsion is sucked up into a production tube 48'', mixed in a static mixer 50'' provided near the top of the oil well, and sent to a delivery line 52''.

Table Vll+ shows the emulsions obtained using the production method of FIG.

In this case, the static mixer does not affect the particle size of the emulsion, but the pumping efficiency in this production method is excellent.

In both of the production methods shown in Figures 3 and 4, the emulsion is produced in an aqueous solution with emulsifier added via line 28 upstream of a static mixer rather than by downhole steam injection. It is produced in the upper part of the oil well by injecting oil.

Table IX shows results from a production method in which the emulsion is produced at the top of the well using a static mixer.

From Table IX, it can be seen that the well efficiency is poor compared to other production methods, given the particle size of the emulsion.

As is clear from the above, as a method for producing an emulsion,
It can be seen that the generation method shown in FIG. 4 is preferable.

Hydrocarbon/water emulsions or other forms of oil well product are collected at flow stations via production lines. The volume of crude oil sucked from an oil well can be calculated using known calculation methods. Indeed, in oil fields, the amounts of emulsifier and water added to individual wells are controlled to obtain the appropriate oil/water ratio and concentration of emulsifier in the flow station, thereby allowing the above-mentioned It has emulsion characteristics suitable for foam. This product is called the primary emulsion.

According to the invention, the first emulsion from the flow station is fed to the defoaming device via a static mixer. This mixer has the function of supplying a homogeneous hydrocarbon/water emulsion to the defoaming device. As mentioned above, the characteristics and properties of the emulsion supplied to the defoaming device include a water content of at least 15% by weight, a viscosity of 5°,000 cP or less (at a temperature of 122°F),
The oil droplet diameter is 300 μm or less. By defoaming hydrocarbon/water emulsions, higher defoaming efficiencies than prior art are achieved at relatively low defoaming temperatures. The defoaming efficiency is desirably 90% or more. To substantiate the above, we will use A in a general manner.
Table X shows the results when Cerro Negro crude oil having a PI specific gravity of 8.4 was defoamed using a diluent and when a hydrocarbon/water emulsion of Cerro Negro crude oil was defoamed.

From Table X, it can be seen that oil/water emulsions can be defoamed more efficiently at lower temperatures than diluted crude oils.

Since the use of diluents and high temperature defoaming steps are expensive, relatively low temperature defoaming from the emulsion is preferred.

According to the present invention, the defoamed first emulsion from the defoaming device is separated and then regenerated and reconditioned at the main station or sent to the terminal.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the process of separating a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to the present invention, depending on the type of surfactant used to form the first emulsion. The separation process is different. The hydrocarbon/water emulsion is delivered via line 110 to heater 112 and then to separator 114.

The separator 114 takes the form of a mechanical separator, an electrostatic separator, or preferably a combination of mechanical and electrostatic separators. It has been found that for efficient separation of crude oil and water, it is necessary to create a difference in specific gravity between the two liquid phases of crude oil and water that form the emulsion fed to the heater 112.

This difference in specific gravity between crude oil and water is 2X 10 at the operating temperature T1 of the separator, which is defined as 15°C or higher based on the cloud point of the surfactant used to form the emulsion.
If the cloud point of the surfactant is 212°F, the working temperature T must be greater than 185°F. controlled by adding salt to the emulsion, diluent to the emulsion, or salt and diluent to the emulsion.In addition, non-ionic surfactants form the first emulsion. When used in a surfactant, a demulsifier is optionally added. In the case of ionic surfactants, a demulsifier is necessary to adjust the hydrogen ion index p11 of the emulsion. Suitable demulsifiers for this are: It is a salt consisting of cations such as Ca''Mg-, AI+++ and anions such as SO4'-, HPO3''-.According to Figure 5, brine is added via line +18, while the diluent is added via line 120. Also, a demulsifier is added to line 122 upstream of heater 112. The emulsion liquid thus prepared is supplied to heater 112, and the emulsion is This surfactant-laden water is reused via line 116, while the surfactant-laden oil is fed to the first separator 114 to produce the final product ORIMULSION. It is sent to the station shown in the figure.

In the graphs of FIGS. 6 to 12, API specific gravity 8.
Figure 4 shows the effect on salt concentration, temperature, and use of demulsifiers during the separation of hydrocarbon/water emulsions produced from 40 Cerro Negro crude oil. The surfactant used here was an alkylphenol ethoxylate with a cloud point of 219°F and a 74% EO acid content.
oxylate). This oil/water volume ratio is 100
The oil droplet diameter was 55/45 to 65/35 with an oil droplet diameter of less than μm.

6 to 12, it can be seen that the separation efficiency increases as the salt concentration increases, as is particularly clear from FIG. Similarly, it can be seen that the temperature during the separation process affects the separation efficiency. By comparing FIG. 6 and FIG. 0, it was demonstrated that a higher operating temperature T in the separator improves the separation efficiency. In particular, this applies to Figures 7 to 9.
This becomes clear by comparing the figure with FIGS. 11 and 12. The use of demulsifiers also slightly improves the separation efficiency when combined with salts at higher working temperatures T.

As evident from Table XI, as the working pressure increases, the separation efficiency increases. As mentioned above, when an ionic surfactant is used alone or in combination with a nonionic surfactant, the purpose of changing the hydrogen ion index pi of the first emulsion is to obtain similar separation efficiency. It is necessary to use a demulsifier in the Ca+, M
a salt consisting of g+, AI+++, 5042HPO,'-,
or these compounds. As above,
The separator for separating the first emulsion is selected from a mechanical separator, an electrostatic separator, or a combination thereof. To demonstrate the above content, sodium chloride (sodiu
m chloride) salt concentration 20,000 mg/I
For an emulsion with an oil/water weight ratio of 65/35, the registered trade name VISCOE-
Using a commercially available demulsifier under No. 17, the pressure was 100 ps.
i in a separator.

Table XI shows the results of four tests. Here, Tests 1 and 3 are cases in which both mechanical and electrostatic separators are used, and Tests 2 and 4 are cases in which only a mechanical separator is used.

From Table XII, the separation efficiency was significantly better for mechanical and electrostatic separators than for mechanical only separators.

As mentioned above, the main reason for emulsion separation and regeneration is
The aim is to ensure a properly prepared emulsion ready for the next processing step. This step is necessary because of formation water, salts, and other elements that occur as byproducts in the production of viscous hydrocarbons. Once the first emulsion is separated, the separated water and surfactant are immediately recycled via line 36 in FIG. 1 to the top of the well or to another location for production of the first emulsion. . Similarly, the removed salts are recycled to the separator to adjust the concentration of the first emulsion. The treatment method of the present invention is a semi-closed system that enables the reuse of expensive surfactants.
ed system).

Immediately after separation of the first emulsion, the separated crude oil proceeds to a regeneration process. In this process, the crude oil is re-emulsified and reconditioned for subsequent use. For example, it may be delivered to a power plant for combustion or to a refinery for further processing.

The emulsion produced in the regeneration area was treated as described above with "Of?"
This “ORIM[lL
SI0N” is about 15-40%, preferably 24-32
% water content and about 60-76%, preferably 68-76%
It is characterized by being an oil component. This “ORIMUL”
31ON' has a viscosity of 5,000 cP (122° F.) or less and an average particle size of 5 to 50 μm, preferably 10 to 20 μm. This commercially available emulsion "01? IMULS
ION" must be stable not only for pipeline transportation but also for storage and tanker transportation, and its stability is demonstrated as follows. If this "ORI
If the "MULSION" is transported directly to the combustion facility, the emulsifier added at the regeneration station should be chosen from the nonionic surfactants mentioned above. It is very important that the additive is a non-ionic surfactant that is not affected by salts.According to the invention, by adding the additive into the hydrocarbon/water emulsion, the The preferred additives include water-soluble salts such as Na', K+,
selected from Li+, Ca+, Ba+, Mg"Fe+++, and mixtures thereof.

The most preferred additives are polyvalent metals with high melting points that do not form slabs upon combustion. Nonionic surfactants are required so that these additives are active in the emulsion. Hydrocarbon/water emulsion “ORIMULSI”
The amount of surfactant used in the formation of ``ON'' has been demonstrated in the formation of the first emulsion described above. Based on the combustion of the turbid liquid "ORIMULS ION",
To obtain the S0w emissions, a molar ratio of additive to sulfur in the hydrocarbon is added to the emulsion. In order to obtain the desired release m, the additives
ION" at an additive/sulfur molar ratio greater than 0.050, preferably greater than 0.100. The amount of additive to obtain the desired Sow depends on the particular additive or additive used. Although it varies depending on the combination of agents, it has been found that an additive/sulfur molar ratio of at least 0.050 is required.

As mentioned above, the emulsifier to be added is preferably a nonionic surfactant, and this additive is ethoxylated alkylphenol (ethoxylate alkylphenol eth).
oxylated alkyl phenols), ethoxylated alcohols (ethoxylated alcohols)
ethoxylated alcohols), ethoxylated sorbitan esters (ethoxylated 5orbitan
esters) and mixtures thereof.

It has been found that the sulfur component that captures the additive in the hydrocarbon/water emulsion has a significant effect on the combustion properties, especially on the release of sulfur oxides. The high volume ratio bitumen/water interface causes the additive to react with the sulfur compounds present in the fuel to form sulfides such as sodium sulfide, potassium sulfide, magnesium sulfide, calcium sulfide, etc. During combustion, these sulfides are oxidized to sulfates, fixing the sulfur in the combustion ash and preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as part of the flue gas. The amount of additive required will vary depending on (1) the amount of sulfur in the hydrocarbon, and (2) the particular additive used.

After preparation, the hydrocarbon/water emulsion of the present invention is ready for transport and combustion. Typical oil gun burners, such as closed mixer burners (inter
al mixing burner) or other twin rluid atomiz
Atomization using steam or air can be carried out at a fuel temperature of 60 to 176 ("F), preferably 60 to 140 ("
F), steam/fuel ratio 0.05-0.5 (wt/wt)
, preferably 0.05 to 0.4 (wt/wt), air/
Fuel ratio 0°05-0.4 (wt/wt), preferably 0
．． 05-0.3 (wt/wt), vapor pressure 1.5-6 (B
ar), preferably 2-4 (Bar), air pressure 2-7 (
It is preferable to carry out the operation under operating conditions of 2 to 4 Bar), preferably 2 to 4 Bar. Under these conditions, efficient combustion was obtained, with excellent atomization and flame stability.

Hydrocarbon/water emulsion “ORIMULSIO” according to the invention
The excellent results obtained from the combustion of N'' are demonstrated by the following specific examples.

Table XI [ Seven bitumen/water emulsions whose compositional characteristics are shown in Table I were prepared.

The combustion test was conducted under the operating conditions shown in Table x1■.

The combustion characteristics are shown in Table XV.

Table xv shows that as the additive/sulfur molar ratio increases, the combustion efficiency of the emulsified hydrocarbon fuel improves to 99.9%. The comparative data in Table xv also shows that as the additive/sulfur molar ratio increases, Sow and SO
This shows that the amount of a released is improved. Emulsion #5
As is clear from the figure, the reduction rate of SOI exceeds 90% when the additive/sulfur molar ratio is 0.097. Also,
The amount of sulfur oxide emissions obtained during combustion of fuel oil consisting of emulsion #5 is much lower than the emission ffl (LB/MMBTU value) obtained during combustion of fuel oil consisting of emulsion #6. Additionally, the optimum combustion of the hydrocarbon/water emulsion prevents corrosion of heat transfer surfaces due to sulfuric acid condensation, ie, low temperature corrosion, due to the substantial reduction of sulfur dioxide S03.

A comparison of emulsions #4 and #6 combusted with similar additive/sulfur molar ratios revealed a dilution ratio of bitumen in the aqueous phase (77,
3 vs. 70.0 volume%) is equivalent to the SO7 reduction rate (53,7
52.3%), it shows that the combustion characteristics are not affected.

Additionally, a transport stability test was conducted using emulsion #5.

Emulsion #5 was loaded into the slop tank of a 16,01118 barrel oil tanker. The volume of the slop tank is 19,000 barrels. Emulsion property tests were conducted with the tanker at sea for 12 days. The results are shown in Table XVI.

As is evident from Table XVI, the average particle size and water content of the emulsion did not change much, demonstrating the stability of the emulsion.

Democracy■ In addition, six hydrocarbon/water emulsions were prepared using bitumen similar to Example I. The compositional characteristics of these emulsions are shown in Table XVI+.

These emulsions were combusted under the operating conditions shown in Table XVIII.

The combustion characteristics are shown in Table XIX.

From Table XIX, increasing the additive/sulfur molar ratio improves the combustion efficiency and also provides better sulfur oxide release characteristics. In this case, sodium was the main element as an additive.

Furthermore, when comparing emulsions #11 and #6 of the above specific example, which were combusted under the same heat input (0,1112 MMBTU/H) conditions, it was found that the same addition It can be seen that the combustion efficiency is not affected when the oxidation agent/sulfur molar ratio is approximately 51.7% and 52.3% of the equivalent SO2 capture rate.

Furthermore, a comparison of emulsions #9 and #11 shows that Sow capture is independent of heat input.

Gomei Shuto also prepared seven hydrocarbon/water emulsions. The compositional characteristics of these emulsions are shown in Table Xx.

Combustion tests were conducted under the operating conditions shown in Table XXI.

The combustion characteristics are shown in Table XXII.

Table XXII shows that as the additive/sulfur molar ratio increases, the combustion efficiency of emulsified hydrocarbon fuels improves as shown in Tables xv and XIX above. Table XX11 also shows that as the additive/sulfur molar ratio increases, the amount of sulfur oxide released decreases.

Furthermore, it can be seen that less sulfur oxide is released when emulsions #16 and #17 are burned than when emulsion #6 is burned. In Table xv, sodium (
At this time, polyvalent magnesium, which has a higher melting point than sodium, was mainly added as an additive.

The main component of the genius produced when emulsified fuels such as Futami Emulsions #15, 11B, and #17 are burned is magnesium orthovanadate, which has a melting point of 2174°F. 3
MgOoVvOs magr+esium ortho
vanadate). Magnesium orthovanadate is known as a corrosion inhibitor for vanadium in combustion equipment. Therefore, in the ash whose main element is "Mg", the natural content generated from the emulsion burnt using an additive consisting of an element selected from Ca+, Ba+, Mg+, and Fe+++ or a mixture thereof, and Na '.

Additives consisting of elements selected from K+, Li+, Mg'' are used to promote free combustion in which the combusted ash produces high-temperature corrosion. caused by

In the event that the regenerated emulsion is to be transported to a refinery for the next processing step, the emulsion is conditioned to avoid salt concentration which can lead to salt corrosion problems. According to the invention, the hydrocarbon/water emulsion "ORIM" for transport to the refinery
Preferred surfactants used in the production of “ULSION” are:
It consists of a compound of an alkali such as ammonia and a nonionic surfactant. The formation of emulsions using preferred nonionic surfactants with ammonia is already shown in Table V. As mentioned above, if the emulsion is to proceed to the next processing step, it is desirable to remove the salt from the emulsion before it is transported to a refinery. In emulsion formation, the addition of ammonia as a surfactant aids in the removal of undesired salts in subsequent processing steps of the emulsion. Furthermore, corrosion inhibitors, anti-thixotropic agents,
Additional elements such as pic agents) etc. can also be added to the emulsion.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the method for treating naturally produced viscous hydrocarbon materials according to the present invention, after the separation step of the first emulsion, the second emulsion is produced, and the second emulsion is separated depending on the final use. Although the water and emulsifier are further adjusted, it is economical because the water and emulsifier regenerated by this separation step can be fully reused for the production of the first emulsion, or a part of it can be used for the regeneration step. It is. In addition, the second emulsion preparation step includes a preparation step for producing a combustible fuel while maintaining a low emission amount of sulfur oxides, or a preparation step for refining it as a surplus product. It can be transported to the next processing step as a highly hydrocarbon/water emulsion.

Additionally, the present invention includes a production step of producing a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion from a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier, wherein the properties of the hydrocarbon/water emulsion are modified to a water content of at least 1.
5% by weight, viscosity 5.000cP or less (temperature 122°F)
, and 90% by setting the oil droplet diameter to 300 μm or less
It is possible to obtain higher defoaming efficiency. In addition, in the production process, if necessary, 5
std, cubic ft, less than, preferably 2 s
Since the defoamed hydrocarbon/water emulsion has a gas content of less than td, cubic ft, the required pumping efficiency and the desired defoaming efficiency of the hydrocarbon/water emulsion of over 90% can be achieved. As can be obtained, the pressure is at least 20
ps ig, primary hydrocarbon at a temperature of at least 95°F/
It is characterized by a defoaming process for water emulsions.

Furthermore, the method for producing a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to the present invention includes:
The concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water is the temperature 'r (! degree T is the temperature of the emulsifier used to produce the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion)
2X 10-3 g/a at temperatures above 5°C and below the cloud point
an adjustment step of adjusting the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water in the hydrocarbon/water emulsion after defoaming so that it is equal to or higher than m';
A natural hydrocarbon material separation step of separating the concentrated hydrocarbon/water emulsion between the two liquid phases using a separation device at the temperature T, and reusing the separated natural hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier. This separation consists of a hydrocarbon/water emulsion separation step consisting of a re-emulsification step to produce a highly stable secondary hydrocarbon/water emulsion suitable for emulsification and transportation. The finished emulsion allows for the reuse of the formation water and the separation of the emulsifier between the two liquid phases consisting of the liquid phase consisting of hydrocarbons and the recycled formation water. Due to the presence of surfactant in the recycled formation water and separated oil, only finishing surfactant is required when producing additional emulsions.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart showing the entire hydrocarbon/water emulsion production process according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first embodiment for producing a hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and FIG. 3 is a carbonization FIG. 4 is a plan view of the second embodiment for producing a hydrogen/water emulsion; FIG. 4 is a plan view of the third embodiment for producing a hydrocarbon/water emulsion; FIG.
The figure is a schematic diagram showing the hydrocarbon/water emulsion separation process according to the present invention, and Figures 6 to 12 are hydrocarbon/water emulsion separation steps according to the present invention.
1 is a graph showing the effect of salt concentration, temperature, and deporing agent on the separation of water emulsions. (Explanation of reference symbols) 10... Production equipment, 12... Operating oil well, 14...
Deep well pump, 16...Flow station, 18,
50.50', 50''... Static mixer 20.
... Defoaming device, 22... Separation device, 24... Regeneration device, 26... Emulsifier, 28... Additive, 30...
Transport device, 32... Combustor, 34... Refining device, 3
6,42.42'42'',110,116,118,1
20.122...line, 44.44', 44''
...Oil well casing, 46.46', 46''...
・Submersible pump, 48.48', 48''...Generation tube, 52.52', 52''...Delivery line, 54...Check valve, 56...Pump casing, 1
12...Heater 114...Separator. Kneeling sword ☆ Ichigo 7- Mi 2; paper; Seisai bottle! Audience ☆ Strawberry Diarrhea Village Acquisition 1 Order; 100' and JFJfG -5j t (mln) JFJfG-2 JFJrG-3 JFiG-1 (D 115°C 1o, ooo Tn9/LNaCL t (wln,) JFJIG- 12 0 shots Humberto Marquez Venezuela, Caracas, El Paraiso, Pi 15
APTO, 151. Res, Las Fuenlas Torrecy, Av, Principal Las Fuenlas No address

Claims (52)

[Claims] (1) In a method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials, using an emulsifier, the water content is at least 15%, the temperature is 122°
A production step of producing a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion (an emulsion of hydrocarbons dispersed in water) having a viscosity of 5,000 cP or less and an oil droplet size of 300 μm or less at F; 5 std. per barrel of one hydrocarbon/water emulsion.
cubicft. To produce a defoamed hydrocarbon/water emulsion with a gas content of less than The defoaming step of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion at 95°F and the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water are the emulsifiers used to produce the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. 2 x 10 at a temperature T of 15°C or higher and below the cloud point.
^-^ An adjustment process of adjusting the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water in the hydrocarbon/water emulsion after defoaming so that it is 3 g/cm^3 or more, and a separation device at a temperature T. A separation process that regenerates the separated natural hydrocarbon material by separating the concentrated hydrocarbon/water emulsion between two liquid phases, and a separation process that regenerates the separated natural hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier. Emulsify,
Naturally occurring viscous carbonization consisting of a re-emulsification step to produce a highly stable second hydrocarbon/water emulsion suitable for transportation, and a transportation step to transport the second hydrocarbon/water emulsion. How to process hydrogen materials. 2. The method for processing a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 1, comprising the step of: (2) preparing the re-emulsified naturally occurring hydrocarbon material for combustion as a natural fuel. 3. The method for treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 2, further comprising a step of producing a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion downhole. (4) The method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is produced in the upper part of the oil well. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising a static mixer at the top of the oil well to produce a homogeneous hydrocarbon/water emulsion. (6) Homogeneous hydrocarbon/ before defoaming of hydrocarbon/water emulsion
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion is collected and then fed to a static mixer to produce a water emulsion. (7) using an emulsifier to form a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion; 2. A method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 1, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of alkalis, and mixtures thereof. (8) To produce a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion, an emulsifier is used and the emulsifier is ethoxylated alkylphenol (ethoxylate alkylphenol ethox
ylated alkyl phenols), ethoxylated alcohols (ethoxylate alcohols)
oxylated alcohols), ethoxylated sorbitan esters
8. The method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 7, wherein the hydrocarbon material is selected from the group consisting of: (9) The naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material of claim 1, wherein an emulsifier is used to form the second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants and alkalis. processing method. (10) Using an emulsifier to form a second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, combining the emulsifier with a nonionic surfactant and Na
^+, K^+, Li^+, Ca^+^+, Ba^+^+
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of: , Mg^+^+, Fe^+^+^+, and mixtures thereof. (11) The method for treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a nonionic surfactant having an EO component of 70% or more is used. (12) The method for treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 9 or 10, using a nonionic surfactant having an EO component of 70% or more. 13. The method of claim 3, wherein a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is produced downhole by injecting a mixture of an emulsifier and water. (14) using an emulsifier to form a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion; 14. The method of treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 13, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of alkalis, and mixtures thereof. (15) using an emulsifier to form a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion;
ylated alkyl phenols), ethoxylated alcohols (ethoxylate alcohols)
oxylated alcohols), ethoxylated sorbitan esters
14. The method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 13, wherein the hydrocarbon material is selected from the group consisting of: (16) The naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material of claim 13, wherein an emulsifier is used to form the second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and the emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants and alkalis. Processing method. (17) A method of treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material, comprising injecting an emulsifier and water below a submersible pump to produce a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the emulsifier and water are injected above a submersible pump to form the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. 19. The naturally occurring viscosity of claim 17, wherein the emulsifier and water are injected into the pump casing between the fixed valve and the moving valve below the submersible pump to produce the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. Methods for processing hydrocarbon materials. (20) Claim 1 comprising a conditioning step of conditioning the re-emulsified naturally produced hydrocarbon material for refining it as a natural fuel.
A method of treating the naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material described. (21) The method of processing a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 20, further comprising producing a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion downhole. (22) The method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 20, wherein a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is produced in the upper part of the oil well. (23) A method for treating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 20, comprising a static mixer above the oil well to produce a homogeneous hydrocarbon/water emulsion. (24) The method for treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 20, wherein an emulsifier is used to generate the second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and the emulsifier is a nonionic surfactant combined with an alkali. . (25) The emulsifier is an alkyl phenol ethoxylate with an EO component of 70% or more.
25. The method for treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 24, comprising alkali consisting of ammonia, a monovalent hydroxide, and a mixture thereof. (26) The gas content of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is 2 std. per barrel of emulsion. cubicft. 2. The method for treating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 1, wherein the (27) In a method for regenerating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbons,
With emulsifier, at least 15% moisture content, temperature 122
Viscosity 5,000cP or less at °F, oil droplet size 300μm
a production step of producing a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion having the following properties; cubicft. To produce defoamed hydrocarbon/water emulsions with gas content of less than 95
a first defoaming step of a hydrocarbon/water emulsion at °F. (28) The method for regenerating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 27, wherein a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is produced downhole. (29) The method for regenerating a naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material according to claim 27, wherein a portion of the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is produced in the upper part of the oil well. (30) The method for regenerating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 29, further comprising a static mixer above the oil well to produce a homogeneous hydrocarbon/water emulsion. (31) The first hydrocarbon/water emulsion is collected and fed to a static mixer in order to produce a homogeneous hydrocarbon/water emulsion before defoaming. 28. The method for regenerating a naturally produced viscous hydrocarbon material according to 27. (32) using an emulsifier to form a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion; 28. The method for regenerating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 27, wherein the alkali is selected from the group consisting of alkalis and mixtures thereof. (33) Using an emulsifier to produce a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion, the emulsifier is ethoxylated alkylphenol (ethoxylate alkylphenol ethox
ylated alkyl phenols), ethoxylated alcohols (ethoxylate alcohols)
oxylated alcohols), ethoxylated sorbitan esters
33. The method for regenerating naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon materials according to claim 32, wherein the hydrocarbon material is selected from the group consisting of: (34) to produce a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion,
Claim 27: The emulsifier and water are injected below the submersible pump.
A method for regenerating the naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material described above. (35) to produce a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion,
Claim 34: Injecting the emulsifier and water above the submersible pump.
A method for regenerating the naturally occurring viscous hydrocarbon material described above. (36) to produce a first hydrocarbon/water emulsion,
Claim 3: The emulsifier and water are injected into the pump casing between the fixed valve and the mobile valve below the submersible pump.
4. The method for regenerating a naturally produced viscous hydrocarbon material according to 4. (37) In a method for separating hydrocarbon/water emulsion,
The difference in concentration between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water is 2 x 10^-^3g/at a temperature T of 15°C or higher and below the clouding point of the emulsifier used to produce the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. Adjustment step to adjust the concentration difference between the two liquid phases of hydrocarbon/water in the hydrocarbon/water emulsion so that it is 3cm^3 or more, and the concentration between the two liquid phases has been adjusted by a separation device at temperature T. The separation process regenerates the separated natural hydrocarbon material by separating the hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and re-emulsifies the separated natural hydrocarbon material using an emulsifier to make it stable and suitable for transportation. and a re-emulsification step for producing a second hydrocarbon/water emulsion with high properties. (38) The method for separating and treating a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to claim 37, wherein the concentration difference is adjusted by adding salt to the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. (39) The hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to claim 37, wherein the concentration difference is adjusted by adding a diluent to the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion.
Separation treatment method for water emulsion. (40) Claim 37, wherein the concentration difference is adjusted by adding a mixture of salt and diluent to the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion.
The method for separating and treating a hydrocarbon/water emulsion as described. (41) The hydrocarbon/water emulsion separation treatment step according to claim 37, wherein the concentration difference is adjusted by adding a demulsifier to the first hydrocarbon/water emulsion. (42) Claim 41 wherein the demulsifier is an ionic surfactant.
The method for separating and treating a hydrocarbon/water emulsion as described. (43) Separation of a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to claim 37, wherein an emulsifier is used to form the second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and the emulsifier is a nonionic surfactant that combines with alkali. Processing method. (44) An emulsifier is used to generate a second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and the emulsifier is used to form a second hydrocarbon/water emulsion, and the emulsifier is
, Ca^+^+, Ba^+^+, Mg^+^+, Fe^
38. The method for separating and treating a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to claim 37, wherein the nonionic surfactant is combined with an additive selected from the group consisting of +^+^+, and mixtures thereof. (45) The method for separating and treating a hydrocarbon/water emulsion according to claim 44, wherein the additive is added at a molar ratio of the additive to sulfur in the hydrocarbon of 0.050 or more. (46) Essentially ethoxylated alkylphenols (ethoxylate alkylphenols e.g.
thoxylated alkyl phenols)
, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated sorbitan esters
ammonia, a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of
A package of surfactants for producing a hydrocarbon/water emulsion consisting of an alkali selected from the group consisting of monovalent hydroxides, and mixtures thereof. (47) The nonionic surfactant is an alkylphenol ethoxylate with an EO component of 70% or more.
47. The surfactant package according to claim 46, wherein the surfactant is ammonia (phenol ethoxylate) and the alkali is ammonia. (48) In a surfactant package for producing hydrocarbon/water emulsions, essentially ethoxylated alkylphenols (ethoxylated alkylphenols)
thoxylated alkyl phenols)
, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated sorbitan esters
for producing a hydrocarbon/water emulsion consisting of a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polymers, alcohols, and mixtures thereof, and an alkali selected from the group consisting of polymers, alcohols, and mixtures thereof. Surfactant packaging. (49) Weight ratio 1:99-0.05 based on hydrocarbons
:99.95, a hydrocarbon/water emulsion produced by emulsifying a hydrocarbon with a package of surfactants according to claim 46, wherein the hydrocarbon/water emulsion has at least a water content. 15%, viscosity 5 at 122°F
,000 cP or less and an oil droplet size of 300 μm or less. (50) Weight ratio 1:99-0.05 based on hydrocarbons
:99.95, a hydrocarbon/water emulsion produced by emulsifying a hydrocarbon with a package of surfactants according to claim 48, wherein the hydrocarbon/water emulsion has at least a water content. 15%, viscosity 5 at 122°F
,000 cP or less and an oil droplet size of 300 μm or less. (51) In a surfactant package for producing hydrocarbon/water emulsions, essentially ethoxylated alkylphenols (ethoxylated alkylphenols)
thoxylated alkyl phenols)
, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated sorbitan esters
a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of esters), and mixtures thereof;
^+, Li^+, Ca^+^+, Ba^+^+, Mg^
＋＾＋. selected from the group consisting of Fe^+^+^+, and mixtures thereof, and the molar ratio to sulfur in the hydrocarbon is 0.
A package of surfactants for producing hydrocarbon/water emulsions with additives added at 0.050. (52) Weight ratio 1:99-0.05 based on hydrocarbons
:99.95, a hydrocarbon/water emulsion produced by emulsifying a hydrocarbon with a package of surfactants according to claim 51, wherein the hydrocarbon/water emulsion has at least a water content. 15%, viscosity 5 at 122°F
,000 cP or less and an oil droplet size of 300 μm or less.