Patent US4395337A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4395337A
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Treatment of brackish water
Assignee: CONSOLIDATED CIMA RESOURCES Ltd A CORP OF PROVINCE ALBERTA
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Filing: 1981-06-26
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Granted: 1983-07-26
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Expires: 2001-06-26
Abstract
Abstract Brackish water resulting from steam extraction of heavy crude oils, including oil sands bitumen, is processed for reuse by removing hydrocarbon contamination and removing mineral contamination. The purified water can be boiled in conventional boilers without scaling or fouling occurring. Heat economy is used in carrying out the process.
Inventors
- 👤 Edmund J. Ciepiela
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 17:18
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D61/00; B01D61/42; B01D61/44; B01D17/00; B01D17/02; B01D17/0205; B01D17/0208; B01D17/04; B01D17/047; C; C02; C02F; C02F9/00; E; E21; E21B; E21B43/00; E21B43/34; E21B43/35; E21B43/40; B01D2311/00; B01D2311/04; B01D2311/10; C02F1/00; C02F1/24; C02F1/28; C02F1/281; C02F1/42; C02F1/46; C02F1/469; C02F1/4693; C02F1/72; C02F1/78; C02F2101/00; C02F2101/10; C02F2101/101; C02F2101/30; C02F2101/32; C02F2103/00; C02F2103/10; C02F2201/00; C02F2201/46; C02F2201/461; C02F2201/46105; C02F2201/4612; C02F2201/46125; C02F2201/4613
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of treating hydrocarbon- and mineral-contaminated brackish water from the steam extraction of a heavy oil from a subterranean deposit thereof to render the same susceptible of reuse in steam regeneration, which comprises: (a) removing hydrocarbon contamination from the brackish water by: (i) causing a substantial proportion of said hydrocarbon contamination to separate from the brackish water as a substantially continuous phase, (ii) separating the continuous phase from the hydrocarbon contamination-depleted brackish water, and (iii) oxidizing any residual hydrocarbon contamination in the hydrocarbon contamination-depleted brackish water; and (b) subsequently removing mineral contamination from the brackish water by subjecting hydrocarbon contamination-free brackish water to reverse electrolysis to remove all mineral contaminants therefrom except for silica and removing silica from the electrodialyzed aqueous phase, thereby to form decontaminated water suitable for boiling to form steam.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of treating hydrocarbon- and mineral-contaminated brackish water from the steam extraction of a heavy oil from a subterranean deposit thereof to render the same susceptible of reuse in steam regeneration, which comprises: (a) removing hydrocarbon contamination from the brackish water by: (i) causing a substantial proportion of said hydrocarbon contamination to separate from the brackish water as a substantially continuous phase, (ii) separating the continuous phase from the hydrocarbon contamination-depleted brackish water, and (iii) oxidizing any residual hydrocarbon contamination in the hydrocarbon contamination-depleted brackish water; and (b) subsequently removing mineral contamination from the brackish water by subjecting hydrocarbon contamination-free brackish water to reverse electrolysis to remove all mineral contaminants therefrom except for silica and removing silica from the electrodialyzed aqueous phase, thereby to form decontaminated water suitable for boiling to form steam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon phase separation is effected by air flotation of the hydrocarbon contamination.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 or 2 wherein said oxidation is effected using ozone.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
287 words
A method of treating hydrocarbon- and mineral-contaminated brackish water from the steam extraction of a heavy oil from a subterranean deposit thereof to render the brackish water suitable for use in steam formation for use in said steam extraction, which comprises: (a) feeding hot brackish water from separation of steam-extracted heavy oil into heat-exchange relationship with purified decontaminated water to heat the same, partially recover the heat value of said hot brackish water and form a partially-cooled brackish water, (b) feeding the partially-cooled brackish water into heat exchange relationship with mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water to heat the same, recover heat value from the partially-cooled brackish water and form cooled brackish water, (c) subjecting the cooled brackish water to air flotation to separate at least a substantial proportion of said hydrocarbon contamination from the brackish water in the form of a surface layer of hydrocarbon contamination floating on a subsurface layer of hydrocarbon-depleted brackish water, (d) removing said surface layer from said subsurface layer, (e) subjecting said hydrocarbon-depleted brackish water to ozone stripping to oxidize any residual hydrocarbon contamination and thereby remove the same from the brackish water and form said mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water, (f) passing said mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water into said heat-exchange relationship with said partially-cooled brackish water to form warmed mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water, (g) subjecting said warmed mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water to electrodialysis reversal to remove mineral contaminants from the same with the exception of silica to form a silica-contaminated water, (h) subjecting said silica-contaminated water to silica removal to form said purified decontaminated water, and (i) passing said purified decontaminated water into said heat-exchange relationship with said hot brackish water to form warmed purified decontaminated water suitable for boiling to form steam.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
287 words
A method of treating hydrocarbon- and mineral-contaminated brackish water from the steam extraction of a heavy oil from a subterranean deposit thereof to render the brackish water suitable for use in steam formation for use in said steam extraction, which comprises: (a) feeding hot brackish water from separation of steam-extracted heavy oil into heat-exchange relationship with purified decontaminated water to heat the same, partially recover the heat value of said hot brackish water and form a partially-cooled brackish water, (b) feeding the partially-cooled brackish water into heat exchange relationship with mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water to heat the same, recover heat value from the partially-cooled brackish water and form cooled brackish water, (c) subjecting the cooled brackish water to air flotation to separate at least a substantial proportion of said hydrocarbon contamination from the brackish water in the form of a surface layer of hydrocarbon contamination floating on a subsurface layer of hydrocarbon-depleted brackish water, (d) removing said surface layer from said subsurface layer, (e) subjecting said hydrocarbon-depleted brackish water to ozone stripping to oxidize any residual hydrocarbon contamination and thereby remove the same from the brackish water and form said mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water, (f) passing said mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water into said heat-exchange relationship with said partially-cooled brackish water to form warmed mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water, (g) subjecting said warmed mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water to electrodialysis reversal to remove mineral contaminants from the same with the exception of silica to form a silica-contaminated water, (h) subjecting said silica-contaminated water to silica removal to form said purified decontaminated water, and (i) passing said purified decontaminated water into said heat-exchange relationship with said hot brackish water to form warmed purified decontaminated water suitable for boiling to form steam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 4, wherein fresh makeup water is added to said warmed mineral-contaminated hydrocarbon-free brackish water prior to said electrodialysis reversal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 5, wherein warm mineral-containing concentrates recovered from said electrodialysis reversal and silica removal steps are passed into heat exchange relationship with said fresh make-up water to recover the heat value of said warm mineral-containing concentrates prior to disposal of the same.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said ozone is formed from an oxygen-containing gas and said purified decontaminated water is used as cooling water in the ozone-forming reaction prior to said passage into said heat-exchange relationship with said hot brackish water.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 4 including deaerating the warmed purified decontaminated water.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-07-25 | 1987-01-24 | 1987-07-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-07-25 | 1991-01-24 | 1991-07-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-07-25 | 1995-01-24 | 1995-07-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |