US 11,920,091 B2
Remediation of rag layer and other disposable layers in oil tanks and storage equipment
Sean Farmer, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (US); Ken Alibek, Solon, OH (US); Kent Adams, Oro Valley, AZ (US); and Karthik N. Karathur, Solon, OH (US)
Assigned to LOCUS SOLUTIONS IPCO, LLC, Solon, OH (US)
Filed by Locus Solutions IPCo, LLC, Solon, OH (US)
Filed on Dec. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/088,685.
Application 18/088,685 is a continuation of application No. 16/617,208, granted, now 11,549,067, previously published as PCT/US2018/037054, filed on Jun. 12, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/518,217, filed on Jun. 12, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0134060 A1, May 4, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E21B 43/26 (2006.01); B01D 17/04 (2006.01); C02F 1/50 (2023.01); C02F 3/34 (2023.01); C09K 8/58 (2006.01); C09K 8/66 (2006.01); C09K 8/84 (2006.01); C10G 32/00 (2006.01); C10G 33/04 (2006.01); C12N 1/16 (2006.01); C12P 19/44 (2006.01); C02F 101/32 (2006.01); C02F 103/10 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 32/00 (2013.01) [B01D 17/047 (2013.01); C02F 1/50 (2013.01); C02F 3/347 (2013.01); C09K 8/58 (2013.01); C09K 8/66 (2013.01); C09K 8/84 (2013.01); C10G 33/04 (2013.01); C12N 1/16 (2013.01); C12P 19/44 (2013.01); E21B 43/26 (2013.01); C02F 2101/32 (2013.01); C02F 2103/10 (2013.01); C02F 2303/22 (2013.01); C02F 2305/04 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1033 (2013.01); C10G 2300/208 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of demulsifying and desalting recovered crude oil fluids, comprising:
applying to the recovered crude oil fluids a composition comprising Starmerella bombicola or Wickerhamomyces anomalus yeast, wherein said recovered crude oil fluids are stored in an oil storage tank and comprise one or more impurities and a water-oil or oil-water emulsion,
mixing the composition and the recovered crude oil fluids in the oil storage tank until the water-oil or oil-water emulsion demulsifies into a water phase and a hydrocarbon phase and the one or more impurities separate from the hydrocarbon phase, and
extracting the water phase and the one or more impurities from the hydrocarbon phase, wherein the one or more impurities comprise dissolved solids.