System and Method for Recycling Miscible NGLs for Oil Recovery

Abstract

Efficient and economical systems and processes described strive to minimize the amount of NGLs and gas purchased, by recycling and reusing the gas and NGLs from producing wells on site for enhanced oil recovery. The EOR fluid is maintained in the liquid phase, greatly reducing the cost and energy consumption of the EOR injection equipment needed. The processes and systems described avoid or significantly decrease the need to purchase NGLs and truck them to the site for EOR, avoid large amounts of compression work, and use refrigeration equipment as an option for improved equipment performance only when desired. Systems and processes use a one-step approach to separate and stabilize the crude from the produced water, the NGLs and the natural gas, reducing the complexity associated with oil production surface infrastructure and eliminating the vast majority of the fugitive emissions associated with current state-of-the-art oil production.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for processing a crude produced from at least one well having a well head wherein said crude is separate into at least one fluid comprising a wastewater fluid, a stabilized crude oil fluid, a gaseous product fluid and an optional NGLs fluid, using a simplified production facility which integrates a separation system and a fractionation system into steps, comprising:
 a. adjusting the pressure of said at least one fluid being produced from said at least one well thereby forming a pressured adjusted at least one fluid;   b. cooling said pressured adjusted at least one fluid produced by said at least one well forming a cooled at least one fluid,   c. initial separating system separating said cooled at least one fluid into three streams: a first wastewater fluid, a liquid hydrocarbons fluid, and gaseous hydrocarbons fluid,   d. conveying said liquid hydrocarbon fluid to a fractionation column and said fractionation column outputs at least one distillate fluid and said at least one distillate fluid comprising said stabilized crude oil fluid; said gaseous product fluid; said NGLs fluid; and said wastewater fluid and evacuating the said at least one distillate fluid through traditional means.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein at least one fluid comprising said NGLs fluid and said gaseous product fluids. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1  where the initial separation system and the fractionation column are integrated. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1  where the initial separation system and the fractionation column are integrated and are contained in a single vessel. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1  where said crude produced from said well is cooled passively as it flows between the wellhead to the system or cooled actively with a cooling system. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1  where the initial separation system comprises of multiple
 phase separators, which can operate at different pressures, including using a heater treater system. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1  where said simplified production facility is used to minimize said gaseous product fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein said gaseous product fluid is selected from the group consisting of fugitive methane and VOC emissions.