Patent · US Expired

Water treatment method for heavy oil production using calcium sulfate seed slurry evaporation

US7438129B2 · kind B2 · utility

76Cited by
85References
61Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 8, 2005
Grant dateOct 21, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 8, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S203/17
  • WIPO fieldEnvironmental technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A process for treating produced water to generate high pressure steam. Produced water from heavy oil recovery operations is treated by first removing oil and grease. Feedwater is then acidified and steam stripped to remove alkalinity and dissolved non-condensable gases. Pretreated produced water is then fed to an evaporator. Up to 95% or more of the pretreated produced water stream is evaporated to produce (1) a distillate having a trace amount of residual solutes therein, and (2) evaporator blowdown containing substantially all solutes from the produced water feed. The distillate may be directly used, or polished to remove the trace residual solutes before being fed to a steam generator. Steam generation in a packaged boiler, such as a water tube boiler having a steam drum and a mud drum with water cooled combustion chamber walls, produces 100% quality high pressure steam for down-hole use.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.