Abstract: A vessel for transporting a material that is solid or semi-solid at ambient temperature, includes a body having an interior surface comprising textured metal, and a superoleophobic coating on the interior surface for inhibiting the material from adhering to the interior surface, the superoleophobic coating including a nanotextured coating disposed on the textured metal and functionalized with a fluorinated compound. The superoleophobic coating facilitates flow of the material along the interior surface.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a process and system for treating a feed diluent to produce a retentate product that is enriched in a heavy diluent component. The process includes: applying the feed diluent to a feed side of an organic solvent nanofiltration membrane; causing the light diluent component in the diluent to preferentially pass through the membrane in comparison to the light diluent component in the feed diluent; and producing the retentate product that is enriched in the heavy diluent component in comparison to the heavy diluent component in the feed diluent.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting a position of an oil-water interface layer. A vessel, such as a free water knockout or a treater used in the processing of heavy oil, contains a fluid comprising the interface layer. A nuclear densitometer is positioned to obtain density measurements of the fluid at various heights along the vessel. Based at least in part on these density readings, a valve controlling flow out of a water discharge port on the vessel may be actuated, with the flow of water through the water discharge port being inversely proportional to the height of the interface layer.

Abstract: A steam generator apparatus for generating steam from a feedwater inlet stream including impurities is disclosed. The apparatus includes a tubing circuit in communication with an inlet for receiving the feedwater stream, the tubing circuit having a substantially unrifled bore defined by a metal wall, and a heat source operable to deliver a heat flux to the feedwater stream through the metal wall of the tubing circuit, the heat flux being operable to cause evaporation of feedwater within the tubing circuit and to produce an outlet stream at an outlet of the tubing circuit, the outlet stream includes a steam portion and liquid phase portion, the steam portion being greater than about 80% of the outlet stream by mass, the steam portion providing sufficient cooling of the metal wall to maintain a wall temperature at less than a threshold temperature associated with safe operation of the steam generator apparatus.

Abstract: A method for generating steam from a feedwater inlet stream including impurities is disclosed. The method involves receiving the feedwater inlet stream at an inlet of a steam generator and causing the feedwater stream to flow through a tubing circuit to an outlet of the tubing circuit, the tubing circuit having a substantially un-rifled bore defined by a metal wall. The method also involves delivering a heat flux to the feedwater stream through the metal wall of the tubing circuit to generate steam by causing evaporation of feedwater within the tubing circuit, and controlling at least one of a flow rate of the feedwater stream and the heat flux to cause generation of an outlet stream at the outlet includes a steam portion and liquid phase portion, the steam portion being greater than about 80% of the outlet stream by mass. The steam portion provides sufficient cooling of the metal wall to maintain a wall temperature at less than a threshold temperature.

Abstract: Hydrocarbons may be produced from a well which comprises a contour section that follows a contour of a depression on a contoured base above which the reservoir is formed. Hydrocarbons may also be produced from a first well in a gravity-controlled recovery process and a second well which extends under and across the first well. For recovery of hydrocarbons from a reservoir, a pair of injection and production wells may be positioned and configured to optimize an initial rate of production from a pay region in the reservoir, and another well for producing hydrocarbons may be located below the production well and be positioned and configured to optimize an amount of hydrocarbon recovery from the pay region.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for conveying a flow of oil-containing liquid into an oil separation skim tank, and a skim tank incorporating such apparatus and methods, are disclosed. One such apparatus includes at least one diffuser, the diffuser defining an intake opening configured to receive the flow of oil-containing liquid and an exhaust opening configured to convey the flow of oil-containing liquid into the skim tank. The diffuser is configured to cause the flow of oil-containing liquid to have a greater horizontal width at the exhaust opening than at the intake opening, while minimizing vertical divergence of the flow at the exhaust opening.

Abstract: A method of establishing fluid communication between a well pair in an oil-sand reservoir, where dilatable oil sands in the reservoir form a barrier to fluid communication between the well pair. Steam or water is circulated within at least one well to a region of the oil sands adjacent to the well. The steam or water pressure is increased to a dilation pressure sufficient to dilate the oil sands in the region. While circulating steam or water within the well at a substantially steady state, the steam or water pressure is maintained at a level sufficient to enlarge the dilated region, until detection of a signal indicative of fluid communication between the well pair. The rates and pressures of steam or water injection and production may be monitored and adjusted to vary a bottom-hole pressure in the well.

Abstract: An integrated thermal recovery process using a solvent of a pentane or hexane or both as an additive to, or sole component of, a gravity-dominated process for recovering bitumen or heavy oil from a reservoir. A pentane-hexane specific solvent fraction is extracted at surface from a diluent stream. That pentane-hexane solvent fraction is then injected into the reservoir as part of a gravity-dominated recovery process within the reservoir, and when that solvent fraction is subsequently produced as part of the oil or bitumen blend, it is allowed to remain within the blend to enhance the subsequent blend treating and transportation steps. Meanwhile, the remainder of the diluent from which the solvent stream had been extracted is utilized at surface as a blending stream to serve as an aid in treating of produced fluids and also to serve as a means of rendering the bitumen or heavy oil stream pipelineable.

Abstract: An integrated thermal recovery process using a solvent of a pentane or hexane or both as an additive to, or sole component of, a gravity-dominated process for recovering bitumen or heavy oil from a reservoir. A pentane-hexane specific solvent fraction is extracted at surface from a diluent stream. That pentane-hexane solvent fraction is then injected into the reservoir as part of a gravity-dominated recovery process within the reservoir, and when that solvent fraction is subsequently produced as part of the oil or bitumen blend, it is allowed to remain within the blend to enhance the subsequent blend treating and transportation steps. Meanwhile, the remainder of the diluent from which the solvent stream had been extracted is utilized at surface as a blending stream to serve as an aid in treating of produced fluids and also to serve as a means of rendering the bitumen or heavy oil stream pipelineable.

Abstract: A method for producing bitumen or heavy oil from a subsurface oil sands reservoir, the subsurface oil sands reservoir and an overlying gas zone in fluid communication, the method includes providing an in situ combustion process in the overlying gas zone, to create or expand a combustion front within the overlying gas zone, providing a thermal recovery process in the oil sands reservoir, to create or expand a rising hot zone within the oil sands reservoir, and selectively operating the thermal recovery process or the in situ combustion process or both such that the rising hot zone does not intersect the overlying gas zone until the combustion front has moved beyond that portion of the overlying gas zone at the intersection.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system and operation of surface equipment to generate steam while reducing the quantity of boiler blowdown and thereby increasing the amount of feedwater that is re-used or re-cycled in generating said steam. The present invention teaches that, on a sustained basis, the blowdown stream at the outlet of a once-through steam generator can be routed to the inlet of a second once-through steam generator that is in series with the first, that blowdown stream can be used to generate additional steam in the second once-through steam generator and further reduce the amount of blowdown, and that this can be accomplished without need of any treatment that reduces hardness or silica levels of the blowdown stream prior to its entering or during its entry into the inlet of the second once-through steam generator.