Patent · US Active

Water treatment method for heavy oil production

US7967955B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
88References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 17, 2010
Grant dateJun 28, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 17, 2030

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 de-oiling the produced water to provide a de-oiled evaporator feedwater that is fed to an evaporator. 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 de-oiled produced water feed. The distillate may be directly used, or polished to remove the residual solutes therein, before being fed to a steam generator. Steam generation in a once-through steam generator, or 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 high pressure steam for down-hole use.

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