SG11201407565SA - Process, method, and system for removing mercury from fluids - Google Patents

Abstract

(12) INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 21 November 2013 (21.11.2013) WIPOIPCT (10) International Publication Number WO 2013/173586 A1 (51) International Patent Classification: C10G 29/10 (2006.01) C10L 1/00 (2006.01) (21) International Application Number: (22) International Filing Date: (25) Filing Language: (26) Publication Language: PCT/US2013/041357 16 May 2013 (16.05.2013) English English (30) Priority Data: 61/647,919 16 May 2012 (16.05.2012) US (71) Applicant: CHEVRON U.S.A. INC. [US/US]; 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 (US). (72) Inventors: O'REAR, Dennis, John; 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 (US). COOPER, Russell, Evan; 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 (US). YEAN, Sujin; 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 (US). GALLUP, Darrell, Lynn; 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 (US). YOUNG, Lyman, Arnold; 6001 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon, CA 94583 (US). (74) Agents: PHAM, Hanh, T. et al.; Chevron Corporation, Law Department, Post Office Box 6006, San Ramon, CA 94583-0806 (US). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available)'. AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available)'. ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Declarations under Rule 4.17: — as to applicant's entitlement to apply for and be granted a patent (Rule 4.17(H)) — as to the applicant's entitlement to claim the priority of the earlier application (Rule 4.17(iii)) [Continued on next page] (54) Title: PROCESS, METHOD, AND SYSTEM FOR REMOVING MERCURY FROM FLUIDS 13 00 m i> i-H cn i-H o CJ o & Figure 1 (57) Abstract: Trace levels of mercury in natural a gas are reduced by scrubbing the natural gas in an absorber with an aqueous solu­ tion comprising water-soluble a sulfur compound. The water- soluble sulfur compound reacts with a least a portion of the mercury in the natural gas to produce treated a natural gas with reduced concentration of a mercury, and mercury containing sulfur-depleted a solution which can be disposed by injection into (depleted) a underground formation. The produced water extracted with the natural gas from the underground formation can be recycled for use as the scrubbing solution. In one embodiment, fresh source of a wa - ter-soluble sulfur compound as feed to the absorber can be generated on-site by reacting an elemental sulfur source with a sulfur re - agent in produced water. WO 2013/173586 A11 lllll llllllll II llllll III lllll lllll lllll III III III lllll llll llll lllll lllll lllll lllllll llll llll u ls e ' — before the expiration of the time limit for amending the — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) claims and to be republished in the event of receipt of amendments (Rule 48.2(h))