Chemical compositions and methods of using same for remediating sulfur-containing compositions and other contaminants in fluids

Abstract

A treatment process for remediating; contaminants in a mixture of contaminated fluids, including at least one liquid fluid and at least one gaseous fluid, includes the steps of: preparing a treatment composition containing at least 80 volume % of an aqueous solution containing at least one hydroxide compound at a collective concentration of 35-55 weight percent, and at least one organic acid selected from the group consisting of fulvic acid and humic acid at a collective concentration of 0.1-5 wt % of the treatment composition; adding a dosage of the treatment composition to a mixture of contaminated fluids including a liquid portion and a gaseous portion; and allowing the treatment composition to react with the mixture of contaminated fluids for at least 10 minutes. A pH of the treatment composition is at least 12.0

I claim: 
     
         1 . A treatment process for remediating contaminants in a mixture of contaminated fluids, including at least one liquid fluid and at least one gaseous fluid, includes the steps of: preparing a liquid treatment composition containing at least 80 volume % of an aqueous solution containing at least one hydroxide compound at a collective concentration of 35-55 weight percent, and at least one organic acid selected from the group consisting of fulvic acid and humic acid at a collective concentration of 0.1-5 wt % of the treatment composition; adding a dosage of the treatment composition to a mixture of contaminated fluids including a liquid portion and a gaseous portion; and allowing the treatment composition to react with the mixture of contaminated fluids for at least 10 minutes, wherein a pH of the treatment composition is at least 13.0 and the aqueous solution contains at least one of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. 
     
     
         2 . The treatment process according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixture of contaminated fluids is in the form of a flowing fluid mixture stream, the adding step involves adding at least one dosage of the treatment composition to the fluid mixture stream to bring a pH of the fluid mixture having the treatment composition added thereto to be about 10 but not more than 10.5 in a localized pocket where the treatment composition is added to the fluid mixture stream, and flowing the fluid mixture stream having the treatment composition added thereto through a pipeline to permit the treatment composition to remediate contaminants in the fluid mixture. 
     
     
         3 . The treatment process according to  claim 2 , wherein the flowing stream contains a liquid water component, a liquid hydrocarbon component and a natural gas component, and the treatment process includes further steps of:
 separating the liquid water based component from the liquid hydrocarbon based component and the natural gas component of the treated mixed fluid stream after the step of flowing the fluid mixture stream, combining the liquid hydrocarbon based component and the natural gas component as a new fluid mixture stream, adding at least one further dosage of the treatment composition to the new fluid mixture stream, and permitting the treatment composition to further remediate contaminants in the new mixed fluid stream.   
     
     
         4 . The treatment process according to  claim 2 , wherein collectively the at least one dosage of the treatment composition added to the fluid mixture stream and the new fluid mixture stream is 2 to 10 gallons of treatment composition added per hour based on a volume of the mixed fluid stream of 200-1000 gallons/hour of liquid and 416,667-2,083,333 ft 3 /hour of gas. 
     
     
         5 . The treatment process according to  claim 5 , wherein the fluid mixture stream initially contains more than 1,000 ppm of each of H 2 S and CO 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The treatment process according to  claim 2 , wherein the treatment composition is added to the mixed fluid stream at multiple locations. 
     
     
         7 . The treatment process according to  claim 1 , wherein the mixture of contaminated fluids includes crude oil and natural gas. 
     
     
         8 . The treatment process according to  claim 1 , wherein water and the at least one hydroxide compound constitute at least 90 wt % of the treatment composition. 
     
     
         9 . A treatment process for removing and/or remediating contaminants in a contaminated gas, comprising steps of: preparing an alkaline water wash solution having a pH of about 11 by addition of at least one hydroxide compound to water; providing a volume of the alkaline water wash solution in a reaction chamber; passing a flow of the contaminated gas through the water wash solution in the reaction chamber to cause contaminants in the contaminated gas to be remediated and/or precipitated into the alkaline water wash solution until the pH of the alkaline water wash solution drops to between 9 and 8; replacing the alkaline water wash solution in the reaction chamber with additional amount of the alkaline water wash solution having a pH of about 11. 
     
     
         10 . The treatment process according to  claim 9 , wherein the contaminated gas is controlled to have a contact time in a range of 0.5 to 10 seconds as it is bubbled or otherwise passed through the alkaline water wash solution. 
     
     
         11 . A treatment composition for remediating for remediating H 2 S, CO 2  and other contaminant(s) in a contaminated gas comprising: a hydrocarbon based liquid; and at least one hydroxide compound dispersed or dissolved into the hydrocarbon based liquid, wherein the at least one hydroxide compound dispersed or dissolved into the hydrocarbon based liquid constitutes 30-50 wt % of the treatment composition, the at least one hydroxide compound includes at least one of potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, and a pH of the treatment composition is in a range of 13-14.0. 
     
     
         12 . The treatment composition according to  claim 11 , further comprising at least one organic acid selected from the group consisting of fulvic acid and humic acid and the at least one organic acid constitutes 0.1-6.0 wt % of the treatment composition. 
     
     
         13 . The treatment composition according to  claim 11 , further comprising a chelating agent and the chelating agent constitutes 0.1-5 wt % of the treatment composition. 
     
     
         14 . The treatment composition according to  claim 11 , further comprising 0.1 to 8.0 wt % of sodium sulfide (HNa 2 S). 
     
     
         15 . The treatment composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon based liquid includes an alcohol, toluene, hexane, xylene, and mixtures of these liquids. 
     
     
         16 . The treatment composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a polymer and the polymer constitutes 0.1 to less than 5 wt % of the treatment composition. 
     
     
         17 . The treatment composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising water and the water constitutes 1 to 50 volume % of the treatment composition. 
     
     
         18 . A treatment process for removing and/or remediating contaminants in a contaminated gas, comprising steps of: providing a volume of the treatment composition according to  claim 11  in a reaction chamber such that there is a head space above the treatment composition in the reaction chamber; bubbling or otherwise passing a flow of the contaminated gas through the treatment composition in the reaction chamber and into the head space to cause contaminants in the contaminated gas to be remediated until the pH of the treatment composition drops to between 10 and 9; discharging the treatment composition from the reaction chamber; and repeating these steps. 
     
     
         19 . The treatment process according to  claim 18  wherein the contaminated gas is controlled to have a collective contact time in a range of 0.5 to 10 seconds as it is bubbled or otherwise passed through the treatment composition and through the head space. 
     
     
         20 . The treatment process according to  claim 18 , wherein steps are repeated until the pH of the treatment composition drops to between 10 and 9.