Abstract: A method is provided for recovering mercury from a crude oil into an alkaline ammonium sulfide contacting solution. Soluble mercury complexes in the contacting solution are converted to particulate mercury. The particulate mercury can be recovered by filtering, and the ammonium sulfide in the contacting solution recycled to the aqueous contacting solution.

Abstract: Particulate mercury, in the form of metacinnabar, is removed from crude oil by thermally treating the crude oil at temperatures in a range from 150° C. to 350° C. and at a pressure sufficient to limit the amount of crude vaporizing to no more than 10 wt. %. In the thermal treatment, the particulate mercury is converted into elemental mercury, which can be removed by directly adsorption from the crude onto a support. In one embodiment, the elemental mercury can be removed by stripping the crude with a gas, and then adsorbing the mercury onto a support. The crude oil can be optionally treated prior to stabilization and contains 0.1 wt. % or more of C4-hydrocarbons. Following the thermal treatment, the treated crude is cooled and the pressure is reduced. The C4-hydrocarbons then vaporize from the crude and carry the elemental mercury with them. The elemental mercury in this hydrocarbon gas stream may then be removed by a solid adsorbent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process to remove neutrally buoyant metal particles composed of solid particles and droplets of oil from water such as produced water from petroleum production or refinery wastewater. In one aspect, the water is contacted with oleophilic adsorbent materials which adsorb the neutrally buoyant metal particles. Also disclosed is a process for removing metal particles from a fluid volume that includes crude oil and/or condensate. The fluid volume is washed with a volume of water to form a volume of wastewater, thereby transferring at least a portion of the metal particles from the fluid into the wastewater. The volume of wastewater including the transferred metal particles is then contacted with an oleophilic adsorbent material wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles are adsorbed by the adsorbent material. The adsorbent material is then separated from the wastewater. Finally, the treated wastewater is used to wash the crude and/or condensate.

Abstract: Particulate mercury is removed from crude oil by thermally treating the crude oil or condensate at temperatures in a range from 150° C. to 350° C. and at a sufficient pressure with subsequent cooling under maintenance of pressure to provide irreversible conversion to elemental mercury, which may be preferentially removed in a mercury removal unit.

Abstract: Elemental mercury is removed from a gas by contacting it with a halogen dissolved in an organic solvent. The mercury accumulates in the organic solvent and can be removed by extraction with an aqueous solution with a complexing agent, by adsorption, and by combinations. The absorption process can also operate by use of a series of absorbers which have successively higher concentrations of halogen in the solution and which successively remove more the mercury from the gas. A portion of the solvent in the last absorber can be cascaded to the previous absorber in the series. In one embodiment, the process is carried out at a temperature of absorber at less than or equal to 28° C. above the higher of the water dew point and the hydrocarbon dew point. The mercury waste from the process is produced as either an aqueous solution or a small volume of mercuric sulfide.

Abstract: A predictive tool is provided for estimating the mercury content of hydrocarbons to be produced from a wellbore in a newly investigated subterranean hydrocarbon producing formation based on the mercury content of an inorganic sample recovered from the wellbore. The mercaptans content of liquid hydrocarbons and/or the hydrogen sulfide content of natural gas produced from the formation may also be used to enhance the prediction. Based on the predicted value, a mercury mitigation treatment may be provided to mitigate the mercury content of hydrocarbons produced from the formation.

Abstract: Hydroprocessing facilities may operate for extended periods of time before detection of mercury in the inlet facilities, as mercury adsorbs onto the metallic pipelines used to transport the hydrocarbon fluids, e.g., gas, produced waters, from the wells to processing facilities (“flowlines”). Once the pipelines become “saturated” with mercury, mercury will breakthrough and be detected at the inlet facilities. A mercury management/control scheme is disclosed wherein a chemical treatment step using aqueous sulfidic solution is integrated into a progressive pigging plan to clean the pipeline, managing mercury accumulation in the pipeline for a reduced mercury concentration in the fluid exiting the flowlines.

Abstract: A hydrophobic adsorbent composition and process for removal of mercury from a gas phase fluid near the water and/or hydrocarbon dew point is disclosed herein.

Abstract: A sulfidic complexing agent is disclosed that includes a suspension or a solution formed by a reaction between a water-soluble metal compound and a water-soluble sulfidic compound. The sulfidic complexing agent has a pH of from about 5 to about 11 and a molar ratio of metal to sulfur of from about 0.1 to about 1,000. The sulfidic complexing agent is useful for removing elemental mercury from a hydrocarbon fluid by contacting the hydrocarbon fluid with the sulfidic complexing agent. The molar ratio of sulfur in the sulfidic complexing agent to mercury in the hydrocarbon fluid is from about 50 to about 2,500. Also disclosed is a method for concurrently transporting and removing a trace amount of volatile mercury in a CO2-containing natural gas stream extracted from a subterranean formation. The natural gas stream is transported in a pipeline into which the sulfidic complexing agent is injected.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process to remove neutrally buoyant metal particles composed of solid particles and droplets of oil from water such as produced water from petroleum production or refinery wastewater. In one aspect, the water is contacted with oleophilic adsorbent materials which adsorb the neutrally buoyant metal particles. Also disclosed is a process for removing metal particles from a fluid volume that includes crude oil and/or condensate. The fluid volume is washed with a volume of water to form a volume of wastewater, thereby transferring at least a portion of the metal particles from the fluid into the wastewater. The volume of wastewater including the transferred metal particles is then contacted with an oleophilic adsorbent material wherein the neutrally buoyant metal particles are adsorbed by the adsorbent material. The adsorbent material is then separated from the wastewater. Finally, the treated wastewater is used to wash the crude and/or condensate.

Abstract: A process for removing non-volatile, particulate mercury from crudes and condensates is disclosed. Particulate mercury in crudes can be removed by a process of first adding a halogen, such as I2. The halogen converts at least 10% of the particulate mercury into an oil-soluble mercury compound that cannot be removed by filtration or centrifugation. This oil-soluble mercury compound can then be removed by adsorption onto a solid adsorbent. The process can operate at near ambient conditions. The adsorption step can be carried out by mixing a particulate adsorbent in the halogen-treated crude and then removing it by centrifugation, desalting, filtration, hydrocyclone or by settling.

Abstract: Mercury in distilled products from a distillation column is removed and extracted as soluble mercury compounds with the injection of a complexing agent into the overhead sections of the column. Examples of complexing agents include polysulfides such as sodium polysulfide or ammonium polysulfide. In one embodiment, the complexing agent is injected into the inlet pipe just before the overhead condenser, converting the volatile elemental mercury into a species that is soluble in the sour water stream that collected in the overhead sections.

Abstract: Elemental mercury is removed from a gas by contacting it with a halogen dissolved in an organic solvent. The mercury accumulates in the organic solvent and can be removed by extraction with an aqueous solution with a complexing agent, by adsorption, and by combinations. The absorption process can also operate by use of a series of absorbers which have successively higher concentrations of halogen in the solution and which successively remove more the mercury from the gas. A portion of the solvent in the last absorber can be cascaded to the previous absorber in the series. In one embodiment, the process is carried out at a temperature of absorber at less than or equal to 28° C. above the higher of the water dew in point and the hydrocarbon dew point. The mercury waste from the process is produced as either an aqueous solution or a small volume of mercuric sulfide.

Abstract: A process for removing non-volatile, particulate mercury from crudes and condensates is disclosed. Particulate mercury in crudes can be removed by a process of first adding a halogen, such as I2. The halogen converts at least 10% of the particulate mercury into an oil-soluble mercury compound that cannot be removed by filtration or centrifugation. This oil-soluble mercury compound can then be removed by adsorption onto a solid adsorbent. The process can operate at near ambient conditions. The adsorption step can be carried out by mixing a particulate adsorbent in the halogen-treated crude and then removing it by centrifugation, desalting, filtration, hydrocyclone or by settling.

Abstract: Hydroprocessing facilities may operate for extended periods of time before detection of mercury in the inlet facilities, as mercury adsorbs onto the metallic pipelines used to transport the hydrocarbon fluids, e.g., gas, produced waters, from the wells to processing facilities (“flowlines”). Once the pipelines become “saturated” with mercury, mercury will breakthrough and be detected at the inlet facilities. A mercury management/control scheme is disclosed wherein a thermal treatment step using any of laser treatment, a combustor, or an to induction coil is used to clean the pipeline, managing mercury accumulation in the pipeline for a reduced mercury concentration in the fluid exiting the flowlines.

Abstract: Hydroprocessing facilities may operate for extended periods of time before detection of mercury in the inlet facilities, as mercury adsorbs onto the metallic pipelines used to transport the hydrocarbon fluids, e.g., gas, produced waters, from the wells to processing facilities (“flowlines”). Once the pipelines become “saturated” with mercury, mercury will breakthrough and be detected at the inlet facilities. A mercury management/control scheme is disclosed wherein a chemical treatment step using aqueous sulfidic solution is integrated into a progressive pigging plan to clean the pipeline, managing mercury accumulation in the pipeline for a reduced mercury concentration in the fluid exiting the flowlines.

Abstract: Methods and systems relate to the in-situ removal of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, etc., from produced fluids such as gases and crudes from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation. A sufficient amount of a fixing agent is injected into formation with a dilution fluid. The fixing agent reacts with the heavy metals forming precipitate, or is extracted heavy metals into the dilution fluid as soluble complexes. In one embodiment, the heavy metal precipitates remain in the formation. After the recovery of the produced fluid, the dilution fluid containing the heavy metal complexes is separated from the produced fluid, generating a treated produced fluid having a reduced concentration of heavy metals. In one embodiment, the dilution fluid is water, and the wastewater containing the heavy metal complexes after recovery can be recycled by injection into a reservoir.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new process which comprises the steps of hydrotreating, paraffin disproportionation and hydroisomerization to convert biological hydrocarbonaceous oxygenated oils comprising triglycerides into biologically-derived paraffinic jet/diesel fuels, solvents and base oils. A combination of conventional hydrogenation/dehydrogenation catalysts, such as Pt/Al2O3, and conventional olefin metathesis catalysts, such as WO3/SiO2, or inexpensive variations thereof, is generally employed in the paraffin disproportionation step.

Abstract: Methods and systems relate to the in-situ removal of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, etc., from produced fluids such as gases and crudes from a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation. A sufficient amount of a fixing agent is injected into formation with a dilution fluid. The fixing agent reacts with the heavy metals forming precipitate, or is extracted heavy metals into the dilution fluid as soluble complexes. In one embodiment, the heavy metal precipitates remain in the formation. After the recovery of the produced fluid, the dilution fluid containing the heavy metal complexes is separated from the produced fluid, generating a treated produced fluid having a reduced concentration of heavy metals. In one embodiment, the dilution fluid is water, and the wastewater containing the heavy metal complexes after recovery can be recycled by injection into a reservoir.

Abstract: A method is provided for recovering mercury from a crude oil into an alkaline ammonium sulfide contacting solution. Soluble mercury complexes in the contacting solution are converted to particulate mercury. The particulate mercury can be recovered by filtering, and the ammonium sulfide in the contacting solution recycled to the aqueous contacting solution.