Steam generation apparatus and associated control system and methods for startup

A method, comprising the steps of:

• determining, by an apparatus capable of producing a mixture of water and steam of varying quality, whether it is permissible for a feedwater pump in a feedwater supply system of the apparatus to run, the feedwater supply system further comprising a steam generation system, a delivery system that includes a main steam header pipe that runs from the steam generation system to a destination, and a vent pipe that branches from the main steam header pipe and that runs to a venting reservoir;
• determining, by said apparatus, at startup and during normal operation, whether a quality of a mixture of water and steam produced by the steam generation system is within acceptable parameters, wherein the quality of the mixture of water and steam is a mass fraction in a saturated mixture that is vapor, and wherein the acceptable parameters comprise the quality of the mixture of water and steam being within a range of 50 to 100 percent;
• responsive to a determination that the quality of the mixture is within acceptable parameters, sending the mixture to the destination;
• and
• responsive to a determination that the quality of the mixture is not within acceptable parameters, sending the mixture to the venting reservoir;
• wherein maintaining the acceptable parameters of the mixture allows more heat to be pumped into an injection well and raises a number of units of oil produced from an oil well per unit peat put into a steam injection well, as compared to oil extraction systems lacking control of steam quality.