There is provided a method of separating oil and water from a production stream, having the steps of producing a production fluid from a hydrocarbon producing well, the production fluid having a gas phase, a water phase, an oil phase, and sand phase, passing the production fluid directly from the hydrocarbon producing well through a series of separators, the series of separators having at least one water/oil separator that separates at least the water phase and the oil phase, and injecting microbubbles into the production upstream of or into the first water/oil separator relative to the hydrocarbon producing well.
B03B 9/02 - General arrangement of separating plant, e.g. flow sheets specially adapted for oil-sand, oil-chalk, oil-shales, ozokerite, bitumen, or the like
A multi-stage aeration apparatus includes at least two vertically oriented aeration modules. Each aeration module defines a vertically elongated aeration chamber having a top inlet and a bottom outlet. The bottom outlet of each of the aeration modules feeds a fluid stream comprising liquid and gas into the top inlet of an underlying one of the aeration modules. Each aeration module has an aeration head connected to the top inlet, such that the fluid stream passing through the top inlet into the aeration chamber must pass through the aeration head, the aeration head aerating the liquid with the gas in the fluid stream.
A method of treating produced water containing hydrocarbons includes introducing microbubbles of a lift gas into the produced water in a separation stage to float oil to a surface of the produced water. The top layer of oil is removed from the surface of the produced water. Microbubbles of an oxidizing gas are introduced into the produced water in an aeration stage to oxidize contaminants. Microbubbles of an ultra-violet light treated oxidizing gas are introduced into the produced water in an advanced oxidation stage to oxidize remaining contaminants.
C02F 1/24 - Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by flotation
C02F 1/40 - Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material
C02F 1/72 - Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by oxidation
C10G 1/04 - Production of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures from oil shale, oil-sand, or non-melting solid carbonaceous or similar materials, e.g. wood, coal by extraction
E21B 21/06 - Arrangements for treating drilling fluids outside the borehole
A method of high flow gas diffusion is described involving the following steps. Firstly, positioning at least one diffuser in an upper portion of a vessel. Secondly, filling the upper portion of the vessel with a gas to create a gas zone. Thirdly, passing a liquid through the at least one diffuser to create at least two liquid streams that impinge upon each other in the gas zone in a shearing action that causes the liquid to interact with the gas. Fourthly, collecting and removing treated liquid from a lower portion of the vessel.
A wastewater treatment apparatus (10) includes one or more treatment tanks (12, 14). Each treatment tank (12, 14) has an associated oxygenation treatment circuit (18) including a gas and liquid mixing chamber (20), a gas injector (22) upstream of the mixing chamber (20) and one of an oxygen generator (24) or an ozone generator (26) supplying gas to the gas injector (22), and a pump (28, 29) for pumping wastewater from the treatment tank (12, 14) through the mixing chamber (20) and back to the treatment tank (28, 29).
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