Granted Patent B2

US 12,474,115 · App. 17/402,158 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Eric Prim (Spring, TX); Mark Mathias (The Woodlands, TX)

Assignee: Pilot Intellectual Property, LLC

F25J3/0204C10L3/104F25J3/0209F25J3/0233F25J3/0242F25J3/0266F25J3/044F25J2200/02F25J2200/74F25J2205/04F25J2215/04F25J2215/80F25J2220/02F25J2220/64F25J2220/66F25J2220/68F25J2260/80F25J2290/10Y02C20/40

Abstract

Claims (31)

1 . A set of process equipment for use in an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process, comprising:

first piping configured to receive a wet carbon dioxide recycle stream from a recovery well, wherein the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises water, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, and C 3+ hydrocarbons;

a glycol unit configured to receive the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream from the first piping and configured to dehydrate the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream using ethylene glycol to produce a dry carbon dioxide recycle stream and a water stream, wherein the glycol unit comprises an absorber and is configured to use the ethylene glycol as a dehydration solvent to separate the water from the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, and the C 3+ hydrocarbons, wherein a mole fraction of the carbon dioxide in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit is greater than mole fractions of the methane, the ethane, and the C 3+ hydrocarbons in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit, and wherein the water stream comprises the water;

second piping configured to receive the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit;

a natural gas liquids recovery column configured to receive the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the second piping and configured to separate the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream into a carbon dioxide reinjection stream and a natural gas liquids stream, wherein the carbon dioxide reinjection stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, and the ethane, and wherein the natural gas liquids stream comprises the C 3+ hydrocarbons;

third piping configured to receive the carbon dioxide reinjection stream from the natural gas liquids recovery column and configured to transfer the carbon dioxide reinjection stream to a reinjection well.

2 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , further comprising fourth piping configured to receive the water exiting from the glycol unit.

3 . The set of process equipment of claim 2 , wherein the fourth piping is configured to transfer the water to storage.

4 . The set of process equipment of claim 2 , wherein the fourth piping is configured to transfer the water to be discarded.

5 . The set of process equipment of claim 2 , wherein the fourth piping is configured to transfer the water to be reused.

6 . An enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process, comprising:

receiving a wet carbon dioxide recycle stream from a recovery well, wherein the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises water, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, and C 3+ hydrocarbons;

dehydrating, by a glycol unit, the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream using ethylene glycol to produce a dry carbon dioxide recycle stream and a water stream, wherein the glycol unit comprises an absorber and is configured to use the ethylene glycol as a dehydration solvent to separate the water from the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, and the C 3+ hydrocarbons, wherein a mole fraction of the carbon dioxide in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit is greater than mole fractions of the methane, the ethane, and the C 3+ hydrocarbons in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit, and wherein the water stream comprises the water;

separating the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream into a carbon dioxide reinjection stream and a natural gas liquids stream, wherein the carbon dioxide reinjection stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, and the ethane, and wherein the natural gas liquids stream comprises the C 3+ hydrocarbons;

transferring the carbon dioxide reinjection stream to a reinjection well.

7 . The EOR process of claim 6 , wherein dehydrating the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream using the ethylene glycol comprises transferring the water produced from the dehydrating to storage.

8 . The EOR process of claim 6 , wherein dehydrating the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream using the ethylene glycol comprises transferring the water produced from the dehydrating to be discarded.

9 . The EOR process of claim 6 , wherein dehydrating the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream using the ethylene glycol comprises transferring the water produce from the dehydrating to be reused.

10 . A set of process equipment for use in an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process, comprising:

a glycol unit configured to receive a wet carbon dioxide recycle stream from a recovery well and dehydrate the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream using ethylene glycol to produce a dry carbon dioxide recycle stream and a water stream, wherein the glycol unit comprises an absorber and is configured to use the ethylene glycol as a dehydration solvent to separate water from the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises water, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, and C 3+ hydrocarbons, wherein the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, the ethane, and the C 3+ hydrocarbons, wherein a mole fraction of the carbon dioxide in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit is greater than mole fractions of the methane, the ethane, and the C 3+ hydrocarbons in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit, and wherein the water stream comprises the water; and

a natural gas liquids recovery column configured to receive the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream from the glycol unit and configured to separate the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream into a carbon dioxide reinjection stream and a natural gas liquids stream, wherein the carbon dioxide reinjection stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the methane, and the ethane, and wherein the natural gas liquids stream comprises the C 3+ hydrocarbons.

11 . The set of process equipment of claim 10 , wherein the glycol unit is configured to transfer the water stream to storage, to be discarded, or to be reused.

12 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the C 3+ hydrocarbons comprise C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons.

13 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene glycol comprises diethylene glycol (DEG).

14 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene glycol comprises triethylene glycol (TEG).

15 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the ethylene glycol comprises tetraethylene glycol (TREG).

16 . The EOR process of claim 6 , wherein the C 3+ hydrocarbons comprise C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons.

17 . The set of process equipment of claim 10 , wherein the C 3+ hydrocarbons natural gas liquids comprise C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons.

18 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises less than about 5 percent water.

19 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the mole fraction of the carbon dioxide in the dry carbon dioxide recycle stream is greater than 0.65.

20 . The set of process equipment of claim 1 , wherein the water in the wet carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises liquid water and water vapor.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (8)

References Cited (229)