Composition, Process And Method For Treatment Of Liquid Petroleum Products Having High Concentrations Of Sulfur Compounds

Abstract

Process, method and apparatus for reducing sulfide contaminants in crude oil such as would be present in a crude oil process stream in which a process stream containing crude oil having an elevated sulfur concentration is contacted with an effective amount of a treatment composition composed of at least one polar protic solvent and an anhydrous inorganic hydroxide material present in 1:1 ratio of solvent to anhydrous inorganic hydroxide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for delivering crude oil, the process comprising steps of:
 dewatering and degassing crude oil present in a crude oil stream derived from a well head, the crude oil stream having a sulfur material content between 1000 ppm and 400,000 ppm, the sulfur material content comprising hydrogen sulfide and elemental sulfur;   after the degassing and dewatering the crude oil stream, delivering the crude oil stream into a crude oil delivery conduit system, the crude oil delivery conduit system having an inlet and an outlet, at least one fluid mixing mechanism positioned in the crude oil delivery conduit system, and at least one crude oil treatment composition delivery inlet, the crude oil delivery inlet positioned between the inlet of the crude oil delivery system and the at least one fluid mixing mechanism;   delivering a metered volume of a treatment composition through the at least one crude oil treatment composition inlet into contact with the crude oil stream transiting the crude oil delivery system;   wherein the crude oil transiting the delivery system upstream of the mixing mechanism comprises crude oil, between 1000 and 400,000 ppm sulfur material content, an inorganic strong base component and at least one polar aprotic solvent, and   and wherein the crude oil transiting the delivery system downstream of the mixing mechanism comprises crude oil, less than 1000 ppm sulfide content and at least one inorganic sulfate.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising the step of delivering crude oil having a sulfide content less than 1000 ppm to a sales volume metering device. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the treatment composition comprises:
 between 0.5 and 8.0% by volume of an inorganic strong base component, wherein the inorganic strong base is a hydroxide compound selected from the group consisting of Group I hydroxides, Group II hydroxides, and mixtures thereof; 
 between 0 and 5.0% by weight of a sulfite compound selected from the group consisting of Group I sulfite compounds, Group II sulfite compounds, and mixtures thereof; and 
 a polar protic solvent component having a boiling point between 50° C. and 150° C., a dielectric constant between 5 and 80. 
 
     
     
         4 . A treatment composition for reducing sulfur concentration in a crude oil material having a sulfide content greater than 1000 ppm, the composition comprising:
 between 0.5 and 8.0% by volume of an inorganic strong base component, wherein the inorganic strong base is a hydroxide compound selected from the group consisting of Group I hydroxides, Group II hydroxides, and mixtures thereof;   between 0 and 5.0% by weight of a sulfite compound selected from the group consisting of Group I sulfite compounds, Group II sulfite compounds, and mixtures thereof; and   a polar protic solvent component having a boiling point between 50° C. and 150° C., a dielectric constant between 5 and 80.   
     
     
         5 . The treatment composition of  claim 4  wherein the polar protic solvent component is selected from the group consisting of water, C-2 to C-6 substituted and unsubstituted alcohols, C-2 to C-6 substituted and unsubstituted carboxylic acids and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The treatment composition of  claim 5  wherein the polar protic solvent is selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, acetic acid, propanoic acid and mixtures thereof, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The oil treatment composition of  claim 4  wherein the inorganic strong base component is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The treatment composition of  claim 5  wherein the inorganic strong base component is present in the treatment composition in an amount sufficient to provide a pH greater than 10. 
     
     
         9 . The treatment composition of  claim 5  wherein the inorganic strong base component is present in the treatment composition in an amount sufficient to provide a pH greater than 10. 
     
     
         10 . The treatment composition of  claim 4  wherein the crude oil has an API value less than 50° API and a sulfide compound content present in the crude oil at a concentration between 1000 ppm and 400,000 ppm. 
     
     
         11 . The treatment composition of  claim 10  wherein the crude oil has an API value less than 30° API and a sulfide compound content present in the crude oil at a concentration between 1000 ppm and 400,000 ppm. 
     
     
         12 . The treatment composition of  claim 10  wherein the sulfide compound includes at least one of: hydrogen sulfide, elemental sulfur, at least one —SH group-containing compound having general formula R—SH, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The treatment composition of  claim 10  wherein R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl group, an aryl group, aralkyl group and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The treatment composition of  claim 6  wherein the crude oil material is a mixture of heavy crude oil and light crude oil at ratio between 10:1 and 1:4 heavy crude oil to light crude oil respectively. 
     
     
         15 . A method of reducing sulfide concentration in crude oil comprising:
 contacting a process stream containing crude oil having an elevated sulfur concentration with an effective amount of a treatment composition, the treatment composition composed of at least one polar protic solvent and an anhydrous inorganic hydroxide material present in 1:1 ratio of solvent to anhydrous inorganic hydroxide, wherein the treatment composition has a pH greater than 12;   wherein contacting the process stream occurs in a crude oil processing system subsequent to separation of at least one of process water and/or natural gas.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the process stream containing crude oil an elevated sulfur concentration with an effective amount of a treatment composition, comprises use of a treatment composition comprising:
 between 0.5 and 8.0% by volume of an inorganic strong base component, wherein the inorganic strong base is a hydroxide compound selected from the group consisting of Group I hydroxides, Group II hydroxides, and mixtures thereof; 
 between 0 and 5.0% by weight of a sulfite compound selected from the group consisting of Group I sulfite compounds, Group II sulfite compounds, and mixtures thereof; and 
 a polar protic solvent component having a boiling point between 50° C. and 150° C., a dielectric constant between 5 and 80. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the treatment composition is introduced into to a crude oil process stream upstream of at least one in-line mixing mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein sulfide compound is present in the crude oil at an initial concentration greater than 1000 ppm and at least a portion od the sulfur is present as hydrogen sulfide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein contacting has an interval sufficient to convert hydrogen sulfide to sulfate compounds. 
     
     
         20 . A well field crude oil conveying system comprising at least one crude oil conveying apparatus comprising at least one pipe having an upstream end and a downstream end and crude oil composition present in the pipe, wherein the crude oil composition proximate to the upstream end of the pipe is composed crude oil having a hydrogen sulfide content greater than 1000 ppm, inorganic hydroxide and a polar aprotic solvent compound and the crude oil composition at the downstream end of the pipe is composed of crude oil having a sulfide concentration less than 1000 ppm and between 0.1 and 5% by volume of a polar aprotic solvent. 
     
     
         21 . The well field crude oil conveying system of  claim 20  further comprising at least one separation device in fluid communication upstream of the crude oil conveying apparatus and at least one sales metering device in communication downstream of the crude oil conveying apparatus.