Ronald Dean Hobbs

US Patent:

20140275665, Sep 18, 2014

Filed:

Mar 14, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/804172

Inventors:

Dennis John O'Rear - Petaluma CA, US
Russell Evan Cooper - Martinez CA, US
Ronald Hobbs - Wharton TX, US

International Classification:

C10G 1/00

US Classification:

585240

Abstract:

Oil is recovered from a mercury containing oily solids by mixing the solids with at least a treating agent selected from selected from flocculants, sulfidic compounds, demulsifiers, and combinations thereof, and optionally a solvent, forming a mixture. The mixture is then separated to recover a first phase containing treated oil having less than 50% of the original amount of mercury in the oily solids, and a second phase containing treated solids having a reduced concentration of mercury. The oily solids are selected from drilling muds; oily sediments coating inside of pipelines; sediment deposits on crude oil tanks, vessels, and separators; surface coating on equipment; slop oil from upstream operations; oily solids from heavy oil processing operations; solids recovered from processes for removing mercury from hydrocarbon materials; spill clean-up materials; and mixtures thereof.