# US 2016/0257579 A1 · System and method for removal and eradicating residual oil from produced waters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0257579 A1 - Document ID: US20160257579A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/051,855 - Filed: 2016-02-24 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-08 - Inventors: Keith A. Langenbeck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160257579A1 ## CPC - C02F 1/385: {by centrifuging suspensions (centrifuges B04B)} - B01D 61/025: {Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration} - B01D 61/04: Feed pretreatment - B01D 2311/04: Specific process operations in the feed stream; Feed pretreatment - B01D 2311/2676: Centrifugal separation - B04C 2009/007: {with internal rotors, e.g. impeller, ventilator, fan, blower, pump} - C02F 1/048: {Purification of waste water by evaporation} - C02F 1/305: {with electrons} - C02F 1/441: {by reverse osmosis} - C02F 1/78: with ozone {(C02F1/4672 takes precedence)} - C02F 2101/32: Hydrocarbons, e.g. oil - C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities - C02F 2103/365: {from petrochemical industry (e.g. refineries)} - C02F 2301/022: Laminar - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B04C: APPARATUS USING FREE VORTEX FLOW, e.g. CYCLONES ({centrifugal separation of water from steam B01D45/12;} jet mills B02C19/06; {wind sifters B07B7/00;} cyclonic type combustion apparatus F23; {vortex burners for cyclone-type combustion apparatus F23D1/02; cyclonic type combustion apparatus for gas turbines F23R3/00}) ## Abstract A system for processing oilfield produced water comprises an onsite non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge configured to pretreat the produced waters and remove emulsified oil therefrom to generate de-oiled water. The centrifuge comprises separating a heavier component from a lighter component within a mixed fluid via a separator chamber, a stack of driven flat discs, a disc shaft rotator, a first outlet for the heavier component and a second outlet for the lighter component and a feed pump that supplies raw fluids to the separator. Also included, is an onsite means to eradicate remaining petroleum hydrocarbons and related contaminants and generate oil-free water thereby. An onsite water demineralizer generates potable water from the oil-free water. A system for separating and processing oilfield produced water further comprises an aggregate tank battery configured to collect raw fluids from wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for processing oilfield produced water, the system comprising: an onsite non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge configured to pretreat the produced waters and remove emulsified oil therefrom to generate de-oiled water; an onsite device configured to generate oil-free water from the de-oiled water by eradicating remaining petroleum hydrocarbons and related contaminants thereby; and an onsite demineralizer configured to generate potable water from the oil-free water. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the site is located at an aggregate tank battery configured to collect raw fluids from a plurality of wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an aggregate tank battery configured to collect raw fluids from a plurality of wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge comprises a separator including (i) a plurality of discs that are spaced apart along a disc axis; (ii) a separator chamber that encircles the plurality of discs, the separator chamber including a chamber inlet that receives the mixed fluid, a first outlet and a second outlet; and (iii) a disc shaft rotator that rotates the plurality of discs about the disc axis so that the mixed fluid entering the separator chamber is spun around the separator chamber about the disc axis to separate the heavier second from the first component and direct the first component out of the first outlet and the second component out of the second outlet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge comprises a feed pump that supplies the mixed fluid to the separator, the feed pump including a pump shaft and a plurality of spaced apart pump discs that are secured to the pump shaft, and wherein rotation of the pump shaft results in rotation of the pump discs. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge is a laminar flow gravity force centrifuge. ### Claim 7 A system for separating and processing oilfield produced water, the system comprising: an aggregate tank battery configured to collect raw fluids from a plurality of wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity; a non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge configured to pretreat the produced waters and remove emulsified oil therefrom to generate de-oiled water; a device configured to eradicate the remaining petroleum hydrocarbons and related contaminants from the de-oiled water and generate oil-free water thereby; and a demineralizer configured to generate potable water from the oil-free water. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising a high energy electron beam configured to generate ozone in the de-oiled water and eradicate remaining petroleum hydrocarbons and related contaminants thereby. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, further comprising an onsite electrical power distribution to a plurality of pump jacks at various well sites and to pumps for pumping fluids from the various well sites to a processing site. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge, the device configured to generated oil-free water and the device configured to demineralize the oil-free water are all adapted to operate on electricity generated onsite. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregate tank battery comprises a processing site for the system, the aggregate tank battery configured to collect raw fluids from a plurality of wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge is configured to separate a heavier component from a lighter component within the raw fluids via a stack of driven flat discs, a separator chamber, a disc shaft rotator, a first outlet for the heavier component and a second outlet for the lighter component and a feed pump that supplies the raw fluids to the separator. ### Claim 13 A method for separating and processing oilfield produced water, the system comprising: collecting into an aggregate tank battery, raw fluids from a plurality of wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity; pretreating the produced waters via a non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge configured to remove emulsified oil therefrom to generate de-oiled water; and generating oil-free water from the de-oiled water via a device configured to eradicate remaining petroleum constituents and related contaminants thereby. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising the non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge removing a high percentage of the emulsified oil from the produced waters to produce the de-oiled water. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising generating potable water from the oil-free water via a water demineralizer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising utilizing waste heat from an onsite electricity generation to facilitate demineralizing the oil-free produced water by a vapor condensation process. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising locating a site located for performing the method at the aggregate tank battery configured to collect raw fluids from a plurality of wells and pipelines and separate crude oil and produced waters via gravity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising pumping the raw fluids from a plurality of well sites to a site for the separating and processing of the oilfield produced water. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising separating crude oil and produced waters via gravity and collecting produced water for onsite remediation and collecting crude oil for an onsite generation of electricity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising separating a heavier component from a lighter component within the raw fluids via a non-turbulent fractioning centrifuge comprising a stack of driven flat discs, a separator chamber, a disc shaft rotator, a first outlet for the heavier component and a second outlet for the lighter component and a feed pump that supplies the raw fluids to the separator, a relative closeness of the discs and a friction relationship between the fluids and a disc surface creating boundary layer conditions adapted for preventing the local churning of the fluids while moving through the machine.