N-VINYLPYRROLIDONE-BASED CATIONIC COPOLYMER FOR SEPARATING AN OIL-IN-WATER EMULSION

• Main Authors: MICHAEL K. POINDEXTER, STEPHEN M. HOYLES, CECILE BOYER, M.J. YANJARAPPA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: 08.04.2015
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; DYES; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; PAINTS; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; POLISHES; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; SEPARATION; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method of separating an oil-in-water emulsion formed during crude oil production into a water phase and an oil phase that includes adding 1 part-per-million (ppm) to 10000 ppm of an N-vinylpyrrolidone based cationic copolymer to the oil-in-water emulsion, based on the total volume of the oil-in-water emulsion, to form a water phase and an oil phase, and separating the water phase from the oil phase. Las modalidades de la presente descripción incluyen un método para separar una emulsión de petróleo en agua formada durante la producción de petróleo crudo en una fase de agua y una fase de petróleo que incluye agregar 1 parte por millón (ppm) a 10000 ppm de un copolímero catiónico basado en N-vinilpirrolidona a la emulsión de petróleo en agua, tomando como base el volumen total de la emulsión de petróleo en agua, para formar una fase de agua y una fase de petróleo, y separar de la fase de petróleo la fase de agua.