Process for crude oil stabilization by separating gases from oil production streams
A process for stabilizing crude oil by separating a crude oil stream into a gaseous stream and a liquid-rich stream, and then employing at least a portion of the gaseous stream to assist in the further separating of gases entrained in the liquid-rich stream.
1 . A process for separating an oil field production stream, the process comprising:
(i) providing a production stream including oil, water, and entrained gases including hydrocarbon gas and carbon dioxide;
(ii) separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon gas from the production stream within a first separator to thereby produce a first separated liquid stream and a first gaseous stream, where the first separated liquid stream includes less entrained gasses than the production stream;
(iii) directing the first separated liquid stream to a second separator;
(iv) directing at least a portion of the first gaseous stream to the second separator;
(v) sparging the at least a portion of the first gaseous stream into the first separated liquid stream within the second separator; and
(vi) separating at least a portion of the entrained gases from the first separated liquid stream to thereby form a second separated liquid stream, where the second separated liquid stream has less entrained gases than the first separated liquid stream.
2 . The process of claim 1 , where the first separated liquid stream includes gases entrained therein, and where said separating at least a portion of the first gaseous stream into the first separated liquid stream produces a second gaseous stream including at least a portion of the first gaseous stream and hydrocarbon gases entrained in said first separated liquid stream.
3 . The process of claim 1 , where separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon gas from the production stream within a first separator takes place at a first gauge pressure.
4 . The process of claim 3 , where diffusing the at least a portion of the first gaseous stream into the first separated liquid stream within the second separator takes place at a second gauge pressure; and where said first gauge pressure is greater than said second gauge pressure.
5 . The process of claim 1 , where the second separated liquid stream has a Reid Vapor Pressure, as measured by ASTM D-323-20a, of less than 10.
6 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising directing the second separated liquid stream to a third separator; and further comprising directing the at least a portion of the first gaseous stream to the third separator.
7 . The process of claim 6 , where the second separated liquid stream includes gases entrained therein; further comprising sparging at least a portion of the first gaseous stream into the second separated liquid stream within the third separator; and further comprising separating at least a portion of the first gaseous stream from the second separated liquid stream within the third separator to thereby form a third separated liquid stream.
8 . The process of claim 7 , where diffusing the at least a portion of the first gaseous stream into the second separated liquid stream within said third separator takes place at a third gauge pressure.
9 . The process of claim 8 , where sparging the at least a portion of the first gaseous stream into the first separated liquid stream within the second separator takes place at a second gauge pressure, and where the second gauge pressure is greater than the third gauge pressure.
10 . The process of claim 9 , further comprising sparging at least a portion of the second gaseous stream into the second separated liquid stream within the third separator.
11 . The process of claim 10 , where said first separator operates at a pressure of from about 75 psig to about 200 psig; where the second separator operates at a pressure of from about 30 psig to about 125 psig; and where the second separator operates at a pressure of from about 1 psig to about 10 psig.
12 . The process of claim 9 is tankless.
13 . The process of claim 9 , where at least one of the first separated liquid stream, the second separated liquid stream, and the third separated liquid stream has a Reid Vapor Pressure, as measured by ASTM D-323-20a, of from about 3 to about 9.
14 . A process for separating an oil field production stream, the process comprising:
(i) providing a production stream including oil, water, hydrocarbon gas, and carbon dioxide;
(ii) separating at least some of the carbon dioxide from the production stream within a first separator to thereby produce a first liquid stream and a first gaseous stream;
(iii) directing the first liquid stream to a second separator; and
(iv) sparging a sparging stream into the first liquid stream within the second separator, where the sparging stream is a gaseous stream, and where the sparging stream includes the carbon dioxide or some of the carbon dioxide separated from said separating at least some of the carbon dioxide from the production stream within a first separator.
15 . The process of claim 14 , further comprising separating at least some of the hydrocarbon gas from the production stream within the first separator, and where the sparging stream includes the hydrocarbon gas or some of the hydrocarbon gas separated from said separating at least some of the hydrocarbon gas from the production stream within the first separator.
16 . The process of claim 7 , where the third separated liquid stream has a Reid Vapor Pressure, as measured by ASTM D-323-20a, of less than 8.