Process for solidifying organic and inorganic provisional constituents contained in produced water from heavy oil operations
US8506467B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 7, 2011 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
- CPC primaryE21B43/40
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A process is provided for treating produced water recovered from an oil recovery process. An oil-water mixture is collected from an oil bearing formation. The oil-water mixture is directed to a separator that separates the oil-water mixture to yield produced water and an oil product. The produced water includes water, dissolved organics and dissolved inorganic solids. The produced water is directed to a crystallizer. In the crystallizer, the produced water is concentrated by heating the produced water. Concentrating the produced water causes the organic and inorganic solids to precipitate from the produced water and form solid crystals, including salt crystals. Further, concentrating the produced water in the crystallizer produces an organic melt including the solid crystals. Thereafter, the method or process entails cooling the organic melt such that the organic melt solidifies into an organic solid structure, and wherein substantially no free water is present in the organic solid structure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.