# US 2016/0355408 A1 · Production Salt Water Recycle/Disposal Process

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- Number: US 2016/0355408 A1
- Document ID: US20160355408A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/177,131
- Filed: 2016-06-08
- Published: 2016-12-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-06-08
- Inventors: J. Keith Betts
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355408A1

## CPC

- C02F 1/048: {Purification of waste water by evaporation}
- B01D 1/0058: {Use of waste energy from other processes or sources, e.g. combustion gas (for water treatment C02F1/16)}
- B01D 1/0064: {Feeding of liquid into an evaporator}
- B01D 1/0082: {Regulation; Control}
- B01D 17/02: Separation of non-miscible liquids
- C02F 1/40: Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material (cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16)
- C02F 2101/10: Inorganic compounds
- 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 2201/008: Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle
- C02F 2209/008: comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
- C02F 2209/02: Temperature
- C02F 2209/03: Pressure
- C02F 2209/42: Liquid level
- 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)

## Abstract

A method for recycling production salt water comprises receiving production salt water from an oil well. The production salt water is separated into separate streams of salt water and oil. The salt water is pre-heated to a temperature no less than 2 degrees Fahrenheit below the boiling point of the salt water. The pre-heated salt water is transferred to a separation tank, and the heated salt water is separated in the separation tank into steam and salt by boiling water.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for recycling production salt water, comprising:
receiving production salt water from an oil well;
separating the production salt water and oil into separate streams of salt water and oil;
pre-heating the salt water to a temperature no less than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.) below the boiling point of the salt water;
transferring the pre-heated salt water to a separation tank; and
separating the heated salt water in the separation tank into steam and salt by boiling the salt water.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising periodically opening a salt valve at a bottom of the separation tank to release the salt.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the separation tank comprises a burner that is fueled by wellhead gas from the oil well.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
capturing the steam from a top of the separation tank; and
condensing the steam into water.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising spraying the heated salt water into the separation tank with application of atomizing 360 degree spray nozzles.

### Claim 6

A system for recycling production salt water, comprising:
a salt water inlet valve configured to receive salt water;
a separation tank configured to receive the salt water from the salt water inlet valve;
a burner tube located within the separation tank that is configured to pass hot gas through the separation tank and boil the salt water;
a steam exhaust configured to release steam produced by the separation tank;
a salt valve configured to release salt produced by the separation tank; and
a control system that is communicatively coupled to the salt water inlet valve and the salt valve,
wherein the control system is configured to control operations of the salt water inlet valve and the salt valve,
wherein the control system is configured to open the salt water inlet valve to flow the salt water into the separation tank based on a temperature of the salt water within the separation tank, and
wherein the control system is configured to periodically open the salt valve to release the salt produced by the separation tank.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, further comprising additional separation tanks, wherein the separation tank and the additional separation tanks are configured to operate in parallel to recycle the production salt water.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, wherein the burner tube comprises at least four 90 degree bends that increase a surface area of the burner tube that is exposed to the salt water in the separation tank.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, further comprising a burner that is coupled to the burner tube, wherein the burner is configured to receive fuel from multiple sources, wherein one of the multiple sources comprises wellhead gas, and wherein another one of the multiple sources comprises a gaseous hydrocarbon other than wellhead gas.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, further comprising:
a separator that is configured to receive production salt water and that separates the production salt water into separate streams of salt water and oil;
a storage tank that is configured to receive the salt water from the separator and store the salt water; and
a heat exchanger that is configured to receive the salt water from the storage tank, heat the salt water, and supply the heated salt water to the salt water inlet valve.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system according to claim 10, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a line heater that heats the salt water using glycol.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, further comprising a steam trap and a condenser, wherein the steam trap is coupled to the steam exhaust, wherein the steam trap is configured to capture entrained water from the separation tank, and wherein the condenser is coupled to the steam trap and is configured to condense the entrained water.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, wherein the separation tank comprises a recessed bottom, wherein the recessed bottom is angled downward going from a center of the recessed bottom to an outer edge of the recessed bottom.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, wherein the system is contained within a moveable skid.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

The system according to claim 6, further comprising three spray nozzles positioned on the separation tank and in fluid communication with the salt water valve, wherein the three spray nozzles are configured to receive the salt water from the salt water valve, and wherein each spray nozzle is configured to spray the salt water 360 degrees in atomized fashion.

### Claim 16

A skid-mounted system for recycling production salt water, comprising:
a skid housing;
a plurality of separation tanks enclosed within the skid housing;
a control system enclosed within the skid housing;
an outer salt water port configured to be connected to a supply of salt water and transfer the salt water to the plurality of separation tanks;
an outer fuel port configured to be connected to a fuel supply and provide fuel to burners attached to the plurality of separation tanks;
a plurality of exhaust stacks that are connected to the plurality of separation tanks and that are configured to exhaust hot gas produced by the burners to an environment; and
a plurality of steam stacks that are connected to the plurality of separation tanks and that are configured to release steam produced by the plurality of separation tanks.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of separation tanks comprises:
one or more sight glasses configured to allow an operator to view a liquid level in the separation tank;
one or more salt water inlets configured to supply the separation tank with the salt water;
a pressure probe configured to monitor a pressure within the separation tank;
a temperature probe configured to monitor a temperature within the separation tank;
a safety valve configured to release the steam within the separation tank; and
an inspection port configured to provide the operator with access to an inside of the separation tank.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of separation tanks comprises five separation tanks, wherein the one or more sight glasses comprises two sight glasses, and wherein the one or more salt water inlets comprises three salt water inlets.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of tanks comprises a recessed bottom, wherein the recessed bottom is angled downward going from a center of the recessed bottom to an edge of the recessed bottom.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The system according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of separation tanks comprises a burner tube, and wherein each burner tube comprises multiple ninety degree bends to maximize a surface area of the burner tube.