Method of optimizing heavy crude transportation by incorporation under pressure of dimethyl ether

• Main Authors: ARGILLIER JEAN-FRANCOIS, HENAUT ISABELLE, HERAUD JEAN-PHILIPPE, FORESTIERE ALAIN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.01.2011
• Subjects: ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE ORUNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FIRELIGHTERS; FUELS; FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; LUBRICANTS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; NATURAL GAS; PEAT; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES; 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; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; WEAPONS

Heavy crude transportation optimization method wherein at least one solvent is added to said crude. According to the method, a predetermined amount of dimethyl ether (DME) is added under pressure so as to adjust the viscosity of the crude.