Patent ID: 8653009

Claim:
A method for preventing the formation of calcium carboxylates in a crude oil/water stream containing carboxylic acids and Ca 2+ ions, said method comprising adding a compound to said crude oil/water stream at a point upstream of a pressure reduction valve in a receiving station, said compound having the formula wherein R, R′, and R″ are, independently, an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group or an optionally substituted acyl group having 4-22 carbon atoms; X is N, P═O or CR′″, wherein R′″ is H or a C1-C4 alkyl group; Y is C═O or CH 2 ; a, a″, a″, b, b′, and b″ each independently are 0 or 1; n, n′, and n″ each independently are on average a number 0-14, the sum of n, n′, and n″ in the molecule being 0-42; and m, m′, and m″ each independently are on average a number 0-6, the sum of m, m′, and m″ in the molecule being 0-18.