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US 2009/0255673 A1Published application
Process for Recovering Heavy Oil Utilizing One or More Membranes
AssigneeHpd, LLC
InventorsKeith R. Minnich, Kashi Banerjee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An oil recovery process utilizes one or more membranes to remove silica and/or oil from produced water. In one method, the process includes separating oil from produced water and precipitating silica. The produced water having the precipitated silica is directed to a membrane, such as a ceramic membrane, which removes the precipitated silica from the produced water. In some cases, residual oil is present and is also removed by the membrane.
Claims20
A method of recovering oil from an oil well comprising:
- a. recovering an oil/water mixture from the well;
- b. separating oil from the oil/water mixture to produce an oil product and produced water having dissolved silica therein;
- c. mixing a crystallizing reagent with the produced water to form crystals in the produced water and precipitating the dissolved silica;
- d. directing the produced water with the precipitated silica to a membrane;
- e. filtering the produced water with the membrane and producing a permeate stream;
- f. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- and
- g. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture.
5 more elements
A method of recovering oil from an oil well comprising:
- a. recovering an oil/water mixture from the well;
- b. separating oil from the oil/water mixture to produce an oil product and produced water having dissolved silica therein;
- c. directing the produced water to a crystallization zone;
- d. mixing a crystallizing agent with the produced water in the crystallization zone to form crystals in the produced water and precipitating the dissolved silica;
- e. directing the produced water with the precipitated silica to a membrane located downstream from the crystallization zone;
- f. filtering the produced water with the membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with the precipitated silica;
- g. splitting the reject stream into at least two streams, a first reject stream and a second reject stream;
- h. recycling the first reject stream to the membrane;
- i. recycling the second reject stream to the crystallization zone;
- j. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- and
- k. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture.
9 more elements
A method of recovering oil from an oil well comprising:
- a. recovering an oil/water mixture from the well;
- b. separating oil from the oil/water mixture to produce an oil product and produce water having dissolved silica therein;
- c. directing the produced water to an evaporator and producing steam and a concentrated brine having dissolved silica therein;
- d. mixing a reagent or compound with the brine and causing the silica to be removed from solution;
- e. directing the brine with the silica out of solution to a membrane and filtering the brine to produce a reject stream and a permeate stream;
- f. mixing at least a portion of the permeate stream with the brine having the dissolved silica;
- g. recycling or wasting at least a portion of the reject stream;
- h. condensing the steam to form a distillate;
- i. directing the distillate to a steam generator and heating the distillate in the steam generator to produce steam;
- and
- j. injecting the steam into an injection well.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.