IP Library Granted Patent US 12,623,934
Granted Patent B1
US 12,623,934 · App. 19/025,616 · Granted May 12, 2026

Electrochemcial treatment of saline wasterwater with captured CO

Inventors: Norah Waled Aljuryyed (Dhahran, SA); Abeer Ateeq Alarawi (Dhahran, SA)
Assignee: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
C02F1/4695C02F1/265C02F1/46109C02F2101/10C02F2101/32C02F2201/46115C02F2201/4618
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,623,934
App. No.
19/025,616
Granted
May 12, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods of separating water, salt, CO 2 , and crude oil from wastewater, the methods comprising: providing gas/oil separation system that produces a waste saline water stream and a CO 2 stream; providing an electrochemical cell having an anode, a cathode, and three electrodialytic compartments; feeding a fresh water stream to the anode to produce H + and O 2 ; feeding the waste CO 2 stream and O 2 to the cathode to produce bicarbonate (HCO 3 —) and hydroxide ions (OH − ); feeding the waste saline water stream to a center electrodialytic compartment; wherein the sodium Na + from the waste saline water stream reacts with the bicarbonate to form NaHCO 3 and the chloride (Cl − ) from the waste saline water stream reacts with the H + to produce hydrochloric acid; and producing salt and desalinated water.

Claims (31)

1 . A method of separating water, salt, CO 2 , and crude oil from wastewater, the method comprising:

producing a salt water stream and a gas stream from a gas/oil separation system;

feeding the gas stream into a low pressure gas treatment system to produce a treated CO 2 stream;

feeding the salt water stream into a water-oil separator to produce a waste saline water stream comprising sodium (Na + ) and chloride (Cl − );

combining the waste saline water stream and the treated CO 2 stream to produce a water/CO 2 stream;

feeding the water/CO 2 stream to an electrochemical cell having an anode, a cathode, and three electrodialytic compartments;

feeding a fresh water stream to the anode to produce H + and O 2 ;

feeding the treated CO 2 stream and O 2 to the cathode to produce bicarbonate (HCO 3 —) and hydroxide ions (OH − );

feeding the waste saline water stream to a center electrodialytic compartment;

wherein the sodium (Na + ) from the waste saline water stream reacts with the bicarbonate to form NaHCO 3 and the chloride (Cl − ) from the waste saline water stream reacts with the H + to produce hydrochloric acid; and

producing salt and desalinated water.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a Pt/C catalyst.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises titanium.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas/oil separation system comprises a degassing tank, dehydrator, and a crude stabilizer.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the gas/oil separation system produces refined crude oil.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises producing dry salt.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the waste saline water stream does not comprise hydrogen disulfide.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises ion exchange membranes.

9 . A method of separating water, salt, CO 2 , and crude oil from wastewater comprising:

separating a wastewater feed from an oil refinery into a gas stream comprising CO 2 and a salt water stream;

treating the gas stream to produce a treated CO 2 stream;

separating oil from the salt water stream to produce a saline water stream;

combining the saline water stream with the treated CO 2 stream to produce a water/CO 2 stream; and

feeding the water/CO 2 stream to an electrochemical cell to produce salt and desalinated water.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

separating the wastewater feed into a crude oil stream by a low pressure trap; and

feeding the crude oil stream to an oil refinery comprising a degassing tank, a dehydrator, and a crude stabilizer.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the low pressure trap produces a first salt water stream, the degassing tank produces a second salt water stream, and the dehydrator produces a third salt water stream.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first salt water stream, the second salt water stream, and the third salt water stream combine to form the salt water stream.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising, by electrostatic coalescence, separating an emulsion of salt water and wet crude oil in the dehydrator to produce a dehydrator salt water stream and a dehydrator oil stream.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising combining the dehydrator salt water stream with the salt water stream before entering an oil/water separator to produce the saline water stream.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2025
From: ALJURYYED, NORAH WALED; ALARAWI, ABEER
To: SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069905/0450 →
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