Extraction of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing materials and/or processing of hydrocarbon-containing materials
A method of extracting hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a hydrocarbon-containing material includes the steps of providing a first liquid comprising a turpentine liquid; contacting the hydrocarbon-containing material with the turpentine liquid to form an extraction mixture; extracting the hydrocarbon material into the turpentine liquid; and separating the extracted hydrocarbon material from a residual material not extracted.
1. A method for increasing recovery of hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from a production well coupled to a hydrocarbon-containing sub-surface formation, the subsurface formation comprising hydrocarbon-containing material by contacting the hydrocarbon-containing organic matter with a substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition comprising the steps of:
providing an injection well, said injection being in fluid communication with the sub-surface formation;
providing said substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition, wherein said composition consists essentially of a turpentine liquid;
injecting the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition through the injection well and into the formation, wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition and the hydrocarbon-containing organic matter from the hydrocarbon containing sub-surface formation form an extraction mixture comprising at least a portion of the hydrocarbon-containing organic matter extracted into turpentine liquid;
recovering the extraction mixture from the formation through the production well; and
separating the extraction mixture to produce a hydrocarbon product stream and a hydrocarbon-extracting liquid stream.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said turpentine liquid is selected from the group consisting of natural turpentine, synthetic turpentine, mineral turpentine, pine oil, α-pinene, β-pinene, α-terpineol, β-terpineol, γ-terpineol, terpene resins, α-terpene, β-terpene, γ-terpene, geraniol, 3-carene, dipentene (p-mentha-1,8-diene), nopol, pinane, 2-pinane hydroperoxide, terpin hydrate, 2-pinanol, dihydromycenol, isoborneol, p-menthan-8-ol, a-terpinyl acetate, citronellol, p-menthan-8-yl acetate, 7-hydroxydihydrocitronellal, menthol, anethole, camphene; p-cymene, anisaldeyde, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadiene, isobornyl acetate, ocimene, alloocimene, alloocimene alcohols, 2-methoxy-2,6-dimethyl-7,8-epoxyoctane, camphor, citral, 7-methoxydihydro-citronellal, 10-camphorsulphonic acid, cintronellal, menthone, and mixtures thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said contacting comprises mixing.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of at least about 30% by volume α-terpineol and at least about 15% pinene.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of at least about 50% by volume α-terpineol and at least about 20% by volume α- and/or β-pinene.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition includes at least one of α-terpene, β-terpene or γ-terpene.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of α-terpineol and β-terpineol, wherein the ratio of α-terpineol to β-terpineol is at least about 1.3:1.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of α-terpineol and β-terpineol, wherein the ratio of α-terpineol to α- and/or β-pinene is at least about 2:1.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of a mixture of α-terpineol, β-terpineol, α-terpene, and β-terpene.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of a mixture of α-terpineol, and α- and/or β-pinene.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of:
about 40-60% α-terpineol,
pine oil,
about 5-20% β-pinene, and
about 0-10% p-cymene.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition contains about 5% p-cymene.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substantially surfactant-free non-aqueous hydrocarbon-extracting composition consists essentially of:
about 40-60% α-terpineol,
about 5-10% α-pinene,
about 5-20% β-pinene, and
about 0-10% p-cymene.