Methods for inhibiting naphthenate salt precipitates and naphthenate-stabilized emulsions

• Main Author: UBBELS SEN J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.08.2010
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMISTRY; DYES; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; LUBRICATING COMPOSITIONS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MINING; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PAINTS; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; POLISHES; SEPARATION; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TRANSPORTING; USE OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES EITHER ALONE OR AS LUBRICATINGINGREDIENTS IN A LUBRICATING COMPOSITION

Inhibiting naphthenate salts that can form precipitates or emulsions during crude oil production or processing. An effective amount of a naphthenate inhibitor, such as a hydrotrope, is provided into the production fluids for contact with mixtures of oil and water in the formation, the production equipment, or processing systems. It is believed that the naphthenate inhibitors, such as monophosphate ester or diphosphate ester, exhibit surface-active properties that cause the inhibitors to align and concentrate in a layer at the oil-water interface and thereby prevent interactions between organic acids in the oil phase with cations or cation complexes in the water. It is believed that the physical positioning and geometry of the naphthenate inhibitor blocks the growth of naphthenate salt crystals. However, it is preferred that the naphthenate inhibitors also avoid the formation of oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions.