Granted Patent B2

US 12,606,760 · App. 17/122,762 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Inventor: Eric Prim (Spring, TX)

Assignee: Pilot Energy Solutions, LLC

C10L3/12B01D3/143C10G5/06E21B43/164B01D2257/504C09K8/594C10L2290/06C10L2290/08C10L2290/10C10L2290/24C10L2290/48C10L2290/541C10L2290/543

Abstract

Claims (47)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving a carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream includes carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, n-butane, pentane, and hexane plus hydrocarbons;

separating, by a first multistage distillation column, the carbon dioxide recycle stream into a first overhead stream and a first bottoms stream, wherein the first multistage distillation column operates in a pressure range of about 400 pounds per a square inch gauge (psig) to about 600 psig, wherein the first overhead stream comprises a first portion of the carbon dioxide, the methane, and the ethane, and wherein the first bottoms stream comprises a second portion of the carbon dioxide, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons;

separating, by a second multistage distillation column, the first bottoms stream into a second overhead stream and a second bottoms stream, wherein the second multistage distillation column operates in a pressure range of about 300 psig to about 600 psig, wherein the second overhead stream comprises the second portion of the carbon dioxide, and wherein the second bottoms stream comprises the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, the hexane plus hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide; and

performing hydrogen sulfide processing on the second bottoms stream to remove the hydrogen sulfide.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream further comprises water, and wherein the method further comprises dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream before separating the carbon dioxide recycle stream into the first overhead stream and the first bottoms stream.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream using glycol processing.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream further comprises dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream using the glycol processing to produce a water stream and a dehydrated carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the water stream comprises the water, and wherein the dehydrated carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein a first mole fraction of the first portion of the carbon dioxide in the first overhead stream is greater than a second mole fraction of the methane in the first overhead stream.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a feed stream, wherein the feed stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons; and

separating the feed stream into the carbon dioxide recycle stream and a heavy hydrocarbons stream, wherein the heavy hydrocarbons stream includes C 9+ hydrocarbons.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising compressing the carbon dioxide recycle stream before separating the carbon dioxide recycle stream into the first overhead stream and the first bottoms stream.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a makeup stream of carbon dioxide to the first overhead stream to form a carbon dioxide injection stream.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein no cryogenic conditions, membranes, or carbon dioxide recovery solvents are used in the method.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream further comprises the hydrogen sulfide.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second overhead stream comprises a liquefied petroleum stream, and wherein the liquefied petroleum stream comprises the second portion of the carbon dioxide and a third portion of the ethane and the propane.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by a cooler, the first bottoms stream from the first multistage distillation column;

cooling, by the cooler, the first bottoms stream; and

transferring, by the cooler, the first bottoms stream to the second multistage distillation column.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein separating, by the second multistage distillation column, the first bottoms stream into the second overhead stream and the second bottoms stream comprises:

condensing, by a condenser, a portion of the second overhead stream to return the portion of the second overhead stream to the second multistage distillation column; and

reboiling, by a reboiler, a portion of the second bottoms stream to return the portion of the second bottoms stream to the second multistage distillation column.

14 . A method comprising:

receiving a carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream includes water, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, n-butane, pentane, and hexane plus hydrocarbons;

dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream using glycol processing to produce a water stream and a dehydrated carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the water stream comprises the water, and wherein the dehydrated carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons;

separating, by a first multistage distillation column, the dehydrated carbon dioxide recycle stream into a first overhead stream and a first bottoms stream, wherein the first multistage distillation column operates in a pressure range of about 400 pounds per a square inch gauge (psig) to about 600 psig, wherein the first overhead stream comprises a first portion of the carbon dioxide, the methane, and the ethane, and wherein the first bottoms stream comprises a second portion of the carbon dioxide, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons; and

separating, by a second multistage distillation column, the first bottoms stream into a second overhead stream and a second bottoms stream, wherein the second multistage distillation column operates in a pressure range of about 300 psig to about 600 psig, wherein the second overhead stream comprises the second portion of the carbon dioxide, and wherein the second bottoms stream comprises the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, the hexane plus hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide; and

performing hydrogen sulfide processing on the second bottoms stream to remove the hydrogen sulfide.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream further comprises the hydrogen sulfide.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

compressing the carbon dioxide recycle stream before separating the carbon dioxide recycle stream into the first overhead stream and the first bottoms stream; and

adding a makeup stream of carbon dioxide to the first overhead stream to form a carbon dioxide injection stream.

17 . A process of separation implemented by a set of process equipment, wherein the process of separation comprises:

receiving, by first piping, a carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream includes carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, n-butane, pentane, and hexane plus hydrocarbons;

separating, by a first multistage distillation column, the carbon dioxide recycle stream into a first overhead stream and a first bottoms stream, wherein the first multistage distillation column operates in a pressure range of about 400 pounds per a square inch gauge (psig) to about 600 psig, wherein the first overhead stream comprises a first portion of the carbon dioxide, the methane, and the ethane, and wherein the first bottoms stream comprises a second portion of the carbon dioxide, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons; and

separating, by a second multistage distillation column, the first bottoms stream into a second overhead stream and a second bottoms stream, wherein the second multistage distillation column operates in a pressure range of about 300 to about 600 psig, wherein the second overhead stream comprises the second portion of the carbon dioxide, and wherein the second bottoms stream comprises the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, the hexane plus hydrocarbons, and hydrogen sulfide;

performing hydrogen sulfide processing on the second bottoms stream to remove the hydrogen sulfide.

18 . The process of separation of claim 17 , further comprising dehydrating, by a dehydrator coupled to the first piping and the first multistage distillation column, the carbon dioxide recycle stream to remove water from the carbon dioxide recycle stream.

19 . The process of separation of claim 18 , wherein dehydrating the carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises dehydrating, by the dehydrator using glycol processing, the carbon dioxide recycle stream.

20 . The process of separation of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving, by second piping, a feed stream, wherein the feed stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, the propane, the i-butane, the n-butane, the pentane, and the hexane plus hydrocarbons; and

separating, by a separator coupled to the second piping, the feed stream into the carbon dioxide recycle stream and a heavy hydrocarbons stream, wherein the heavy hydrocarbons stream includes C 9+ hydrocarbons.

21 . The process of separation of claim 17 , further comprising compressing, by a compressor, the carbon dioxide recycle stream before passing the carbon dioxide recycle stream to the first multistage distillation column.

22 . The process of separation of claim 17 , further comprising adding, by second piping, a makeup stream of carbon dioxide to the first overhead stream to form a carbon dioxide injection stream.

23 . The process of separation of claim 17 , wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream further comprises the hydrogen sulfide.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (76)