Abstract: A vapour recovery process for a SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) system for a heavy oil recovery facility, the process comprising a venturi ejector having one active inlet, one passive inlet and one outlet, the active inlet being supplied with natural gas to provide gas flow sufficient to operate the ejector, the passive inlet being connected to a mixture of vented vapours from storage tanks and low pressure equipment, and the outlet supplying fuel to a system along with the natural gas; wherein the movement of the natural gas through the ejector creates a vacuum so as to draw the vapours from the tanks and low pressure equipment into the ejector and then toward the low pressure fuel system, wherein the vented vapours are burned, instead of being released to the atmosphere.

Abstract: A horizontal sump for producing high quality steam, includes at least one inlet, for connection to an evaporator, for receiving steam and contaminated water from the evaporator, the evaporator having a tube side and a shell side. The horizontal sump further includes at least one steam outlet for feeding steam to an evaporator compressor. The at least one steam outlet further includes at least one wash tray, for washing any entrained brine from the steam prior to introduction of the steam to the evaporator compressor, wherein the horizontal sump increases residence time of water and steam in the sump resulting in a steam of quality greater than that of the steam from the steam and contaminated water from the evaporator.

Abstract: A contaminant control system for an evaporative water purification process as deployed in a steam assisted gravity drainage process facility for in situ heavy oil recovery, The contaminant control system is specifically designed to simultaneously control silica, hardness and oil contaminant present in the evaporator feed water to prevent fouling of heat exchange surfaces and improve system reliability and can be applied to many evaporator designs available on the market.

Abstract: A closed loop contaminant control system for an evaporative water purification process at an oil recovery facility includes an evaporator having a water inlet, a distilled water discharge, and an oil and brine water discharge. A sump in the evaporator is divided by an oil skimming weir into a main sump and a blowdown sump, with the oil and brine water discharge located proximate the blowdown sump and the steam discharge located above the oil and brine discharge. A distillate tank receives distilled water from the evaporator and discharges the distilled water. The distillate tank has a level controller, other controllers provided for the system include a distilled water flow meter, a blowdown flow meter, a cycle controller, a total flow controller, a hardness controller, and a silica controller.

Abstract: A modular portable evaporator system for use in a Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) systems having an evaporator, with a sump including an oil skimming weir, a short tube vertical falling film heat exchanger including an outer shell containing short tubes provided for lower water circulation rate. The system further having external to the evaporator, a compressor for compressing evaporated steam from the tube side of the heat exchanger and routing to the shell side of the same exchanger, a distillate tank to collect hot distilled water, a recirculation pump to introduce liquids from the sump into the heat exchanger and an external suction drum protecting the compressor from liquid impurities. The evaporator system receives produced water from the SAGD process into the sump and provides cleaned hot water to a boiler.

Abstract: A water recovery process for a steam assisted gravity drainage system for a heavy oil recovery facility, the process comprising a flash drum and a flash drum heat exchanger/condenser, wherein the water recovery process receives hot water produced by a facility at a temperature above the water atmospheric boiling point and cools it to a temperature below the water atmospheric boiling point before transferring it to the remaining section of the water recovery process.