DEMULSIFIER COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF USING SAME

摘要

Disclosed and claimed is a microemulsion-based demulsifier composition and a method of demulsifying an emulsion comprising hydrocarbon and water. The demulsifier composition includes (i) an oil-like phase comprising at least one nonionic surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of less than about 9; (ii) a coupling agent capable of stabilizing the demulsifier composition; (iii) at least one water-soluble or dispersible nonionic surfactant that is different from the at least one nonionic surfactant in the oil-like phase; (iv) at least one additional surfactant selected from anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and combinations thereof; (v) at least one nonionic demulsifier; and (vi) water.

主权项

1. A method of resolving an emulsion of water and crude petroleum oil, the method comprising:
obtaining a crude petroleum oil from a subterranean reservoir; mixing the crude petroleum oil with a wash water, resulting in a water-in-crude oil emulsion; adding a demulsifier composition to the water-in-crude oil emulsion to form a treated emulsion, the demulsifier composition comprising: (i) a first nonionic surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of less than about 9; (ii) a coupling agent capable of stabilizing the demulsifier composition in the amount of from about 5% to about 40% based on the total weight of the demulsifier composition; (iii) a second nonionic surfactant that is water-soluble or dispersible and is different from the first nonionic surfactant; (iv) at least one nonionic demulsifier comprising a polyethyleneimine alkoxylate, a cross-linked ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer, or combinations thereof; and (v) water; and separating the crude petroleum oil from the water.