Oil recovery process

A method of recovering oil and producing steam for injection into an injection well to assist in the recovery of oil from an oil bearing formation, the method comprising:

• recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil bearing formation;
• separating oil from the oil-water mixture to produce an oil product and produced water where the produced water includes suspended solids and dissolved solids;
• directing the produced water having the suspended and dissolved solids to a treatment system;
• treating the produced water by removing suspended solids and dissolved solids from the produced water and producing treated water;
• directing the treated water to a forced circulation steam generator;
• pumping the treated water through the forced circulation steam generator;
• heating the water passing through the forced circulation steam generator to produce at least one water-steam mixture;
• limiting the steam produced in the forced circulation steam generator to 30% or less quality steam;
• generally maintaining the flow of treated water to the forced circulation steam generator such that the flow of water to the forced circulation steam generator is at least five times greater than the steam produced by the forced circulation steam generator;
• collecting the steam produced by the forced circulation steam generator and directing the collected steam into the injection well;
• wherein the forced circulation steam generator includes water cooled walls and an evaporator unit;
• pumping a first portion of the treated water through the water cooled walls and pumping a second portion of the treated water through the evaporator unit;
• heating the water passing through the water cooled walls to form a first water-steam mixture comprising approximately 10% to approximately 30% quality steam;
• and
• heating the water passing through the evaporator unit to produce a second water-steam mixture comprising approximately 10% to 30% quality steam.

A method of recovering oil and producing steam for injection into an injection well to assist in the recovery of oil from an oil bearing formation, the method comprising:

• recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil bearing formation;
• separating oil from the oil-water mixture to produce an oil product and produced water where the produced water includes suspended solids and dissolved solids;
• directing the produced water having the suspended and dissolved solids to a treatment system;
• treating the produced water by removing suspended solids and dissolved solids from the produced water and producing treated water;
• directing the treated water to a forced circulation steam generator;
• pumping the treated water through the forced circulation steam generator;
• heating the water passing through the forced circulation steam generator to produce at least one water-steam mixture;
• limiting the steam produced in the forced circulation steam generator to 30% or less quality steam;
• generally maintaining the flow of treated water to the forced circulation steam generator such that the flow of water to the forced circulation steam generator is at least five times greater than the steam produced by the forced circulation steam generator;
• collecting the steam produced by the forced circulation steam generator and directing the collected steam into the injection well;
• and
• wherein the forced circulation steam generator includes a steam separator and the method includes:
• i. directing the treated water to the steam separator;
• ii. pumping water from the steam separator to and through water cooled walls forming a part of a furnace of the steam generator;
• iii. pumping water from the steam separator to and through an evaporator unit disposed in the furnace of the forced circulation steam generator;
• and
• iv. heating the water in the water cooled walls and the evaporator unit such that the steam quality produced in the water cooled walls and the evaporator unit is limited to 30% or less quality steam.