High temperature high pressure electrostatic treater

• Main Authors: Minga Everett Kamandala, Sams Gary W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.10.2017
• Subjects: CHEMISTRY; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLIDMATERIALS OR FLUIDS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROMSOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; 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 BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS; SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATICTABLES OR JIGS; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; TRANSPORTING

A high temperature high pressure electrostatic treater and method of use are described for removing water from heavy crude oil. The electrostatic treater is comprised of a vessel with a wet bitumen inlet and water outlet in the upper portion of the vessel, a dry bitumen outlet in the lower portion of the vessel, a plurality of electrodes on an electrically isolating support inside the vessel, an entrance bushing, and an interface control to regulate the flow of water through the water outlet. The water outlet is located above the dry bitumen outlet. The electrostatic treater and method reduce the amount of diluent needed to process the heavy crude when compared to the prior art.