Abstract: A technique for recovering natural gas from geopressured brines contained in a first aquifer in which the brine is conveyed from the high pressure geopressured aquifer to an underground chamber at lower pressure at a location remote from the geopressured aquifer, the lower pressure within the chamber causing the gas to be released from the brine after entry into the chamber. The released gas is conveyed from the chamber to a suitable gas outlet for use while the brine within the chamber by virtue of its pressure is conveyed to a second upper level discharge aquifer at a location remote from the chamber.

Abstract: An improved lamella separator which reduces the contamination of the clear liquid output thereof in comparison with conventional lamella separators of the prior art. In a preferred embodiment thereof, the thickness of the feed liquid layer containing solid material is monitored at one or more regions in each of the channels of the separator so that when the thickness thereof approaches or exceeds about one half the channel depth in one or more channels, a control system responsive thereto maintains such thickness in such one or more channels at less than one half the channel depth.