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US 7,597,144 B2Granted
Process for recovering heavy oil utilizing one or more membranes
AssigneeHpd, LLC
InventorsKeith R Minnich, Kashi Banerjee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims40
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 ceramic membrane;
- e. filtering the produced water with the ceramic 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 ceramic membrane located downstream from the crystallization zone;
- f. filtering the produced water with the ceramic 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 ceramic 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 produced water having contaminants therein;
- c. removing contaminants from the produced water by filtering the produced water with a membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with contaminants;
- d. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- e. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture;
- f. precipitating dissolved silica from the produced water prior to the produced water being filtered by the membrane;
- and
- g. recycling at least a portion of the reject stream and mixing the portion of the recycled reject stream with the produced water at a point upstream of the membrane to increase the concentration of suspended solids in the produced water upstream of the membrane.
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 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 ceramic 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
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 contaminants therein;
- c. removing contaminants from the produced water by filtering the produced water with a membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with contaminants;
- d. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- e. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture;
- and
- f. wherein the produced water includes hardness in the form of calcium or magnesium ions, and the method includes removing the calcium or magnesium ions from the produced water by filtering the produced water with a membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with calcium or magnesium ions.
4 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 contaminants therein;
- c. removing contaminants from the produced water by filtering the produced water with a membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with contaminants;
- d. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- e. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture;
- and
- f. wherein the produced water includes both silica and residual oil, and wherein the method includes removing both silica and residual oil from the produced water by filtering the produced water with one or more ceramic membranes and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with silica and residual oil.
4 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 contaminants therein;
- c. removing contaminants from the produced water by filtering the produced water with a membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with contaminants;
- d. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- e. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture;
- and
- f. wherein the produced water includes silica and the method includes adding one or more metal oxides to the produced water and utilizing the one or more metal oxides to sorb silica;
- and removing the sorbed silica from the produced water by filtering the produced water with one or more membranes and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with the sorbed silica.
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 contaminants therein;
- c. removing contaminants from the produced water by filtering the produced water with a membrane and producing a permeate stream and a reject stream concentrated with contaminants;
- d. directing the permeate stream to a steam generator and producing steam;
- e. injecting the steam into an injection well, giving rise to the formation of the oil/water mixture;
- and
- f. removing contaminants from the produced by water by mixing a compound having active surface properties that draw contaminants out of solution.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.