US 12,264,284 B2
Treatment of contaminated oil produced by oil and gas wells
Francis Miller, Pace, FL (US); Steve Addleman, Somerset, PA (US); and Timothy Phillips, Bloomfield, NM (US)
Assigned to Eau Midstream, Inc., Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed by Eau Midstream, Inc., Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Aug. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/894,481.
Application 17/894,481 is a continuation of application No. 16/977,425, granted, now 11,427,768, previously published as PCT/US2019/020193, filed on Mar. 1, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/637,815, filed on Mar. 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0227734 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C10G 27/14 (2006.01); B01D 17/02 (2006.01); B01D 17/04 (2006.01); B01D 17/12 (2006.01); B01F 23/231 (2022.01); B01J 4/00 (2006.01); C10G 31/08 (2006.01); C10G 31/10 (2006.01); C10G 33/04 (2006.01); E21B 43/16 (2006.01)
CPC C10G 27/14 (2013.01) [B01D 17/0205 (2013.01); B01D 17/047 (2013.01); B01D 17/12 (2013.01); B01F 23/231 (2022.01); B01J 4/001 (2013.01); C10G 31/08 (2013.01); C10G 31/10 (2013.01); C10G 33/04 (2013.01); E21B 43/16 (2013.01); C10G 2300/1033 (2013.01); C10G 2300/80 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of treating a contaminated oil, the method comprising:
a) preparing a brine solution;
b) adding ozone to the brine solution to produce ozonated brine solution;
c) adding a volume of ozonated brine solution to a volume of the contaminated oil;
d) adding a coagulant to the volume of contaminated oil;
e) adding a surfactant to the volume of contaminated oil;
f) mixing the volumes of contaminated oil and ozonated brine solution, the coagulant, and the surfactant at a shear rate sufficiently high so as to cause formation of an emulsion of the contaminated oil and the brine solution;
g) adding an anionic polymer to the emulsion and causing the emulsion to separate into an aqueous brine liquid phase and an oil liquid phase;
h) separating the brine liquid phase from the oil liquid phase; and
i) separating at least one contaminant from the oil liquid phase to produce a volume of purified oil.