Abstract: A wastewater treatment system is disclosed that includes a desanding hydrocyclone, a deoiling hydrocyclone, an electrocoagulation apparatus that is adapted to receive a flow of treated wastewater from the desanding and deoiling hydrocyclones, a floc separator that is adapted to receive a flow of a first effluent from the electrocoagulation apparatus, and an ultrafiltration membrane apparatus that is adapted to receive at least a portion of a flow of a second effluent from the floc separator.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment system is disclosed that includes a desanding hydrocyclone, a deoiling hydrocyclone, an electrocoagulation apparatus that is adapted to receive a flow of treated wastewater from the desanding and deoiling hydrocyclones, a floc separator that is adapted to receive a flow of a first effluent from the electrocoagulation apparatus, and an ultrafiltration membrane apparatus that is adapted to receive at least a portion of a flow of a second effluent from the floc separator.

Abstract: A process and a system for enhancing recovery of oil from an oil-bearing formation are provided in which water having a total dissolved solids content is filtered to remove some solids in a filter assembly, the filtered water is treated to remove some ions in a capacitive deionization assembly, and the filtered deionized water is injected into the oil-bearing formation to mobilize crude oil and enhance oil recovery from the formation.

Abstract: A process and a system for enhancing recovery of oil from an oil-bearing formation are provided in which water having a total dissolved solids content is filtered to remove some solids in a filter assembly, the filtered water is treated to remove some ions in a capacitive deionization assembly, and the filtered deionized water is injected into the oil-bearing formation to mobilize crude oil and enhance oil recovery from the formation.

Abstract: A process and a system for enhancing recovery of oil from an oil-bearing formation are provided in which water having a total dissolved solids content is filtered to remove some solids in a filter assembly, the filtered water is treated to remove some ions in a capacitive deionization assembly, and the filtered deionized water is injected into the oil-bearing formation to mobilize crude oil and enhance oil recovery from the formation.

Abstract: The invention describes a process for the separation of an oil/water mixture into an oil rich phase and a water rich phase using an inline separation device, an inlet, a vortex generating chamber, a central separation chamber, and an outlet and providing an oil rich phase discharge pipe and a water rich phase discharge pipe. The process further also comprising a) the provision of an additional tangential or axial inlet into the vortex generating chamber or the central separation chamber and introducing an additional amount of oil/water mixture tangentially and/or axially into the vortex generating chamber or the central separation chamber, or b) adjusting the vortex generating means to control the rotation of the vortex, or a combination of a) and b). The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the above process and to the use of such a device in the separation of oil/water mixtures.

Abstract: The invention is a method and cyclonic separator for degassing a fluid mixture comprising a carrier liquid and gaseous or vaporizable components. In this method, the fluid mixture is accelerated in a throat section of a vortex tube such that the static pressure of the fluid mixture is decreased and vaporizable components evaporate into a gaseous phase and the fluid mixture flows as a substantially homogeneously dispersed gas-liquid mixture through the throat section; the accelerated fluid mixture is induced to swirl within a tubular mid section of the vortex tube such that the fluid mixture is separated by centrifugal forces into a degassed liquid fraction and a gas enriched fraction; the degassed liquid fraction is induced to flow into an annular liquid outlet conduit; and the gas enriched fraction is induced to flow into a central gas outlet conduit.

Abstract: The invention describes a process for the separation of an oil/water mixture into an oil rich phase and a water rich phase using an inline separation device, an inlet, a vortex generating chamber, a central separation chamber, and an outlet and providing an oil rich phase discharge pipe and a water rich phase discharge pipe. The process further also comprising a) the provision of an additional tangential or axial inlet into the vortex generating chamber or the central separation chamber and introducing an additional amount of oil/ater mixture tangentially and/or axially into the vortex generating chamber or the central separation chamber, or b) adjusting the vortex generating means to control the rotation of the vortex, or a combination of a) and b). The invention further relates to a device for carrying out the above process and to the use of such a device in the separation of oil/water mixtures.

Abstract: A method and cyclonic separator are disclosed for degassing a fluid mixture comprising a carrier liquid and gaseous and/or vaporizable components, wherein: the fluid mixture is accelerated in a throat section (6, 21) of a vortex tube (1, 20) such that the static pressure of the fluid mixture is decreased and vaporizable components evaporate into a gaseous phase and the fluid mixture flows as a substantially homogeneously dispersed gas-liquid mixture through the throat section; the accelerated fluid mixture is induced to swirl within a tubular mid section of the vortex tube such that the fluid mixture is separated by centrifugal forces into a degassed liquid fraction and a gas enriched fraction; the degassed liquid fraction is induced to flow into a annular liquid outlet conduit (4, 21); and the gas enriched fraction is induced to flow into a central gas outlet conduit (3, 24).

Abstract: A method for cyclonic separation of gaseous and liquid fractions from a multiphase fluid mixture comprises: providing a cyclonic separation vessel (1) having a bottom section (4), a top section (3) and a tubular midsection (2), which is co-axial to a central axis (5); injecting the multiphase fluid mixture into the vessel via an inlet conduit (6) which has a substantially tangential orientation relative to said central axis (5); inducing the fluid mixture to swirl within said tubular mid-section (2) of the vessel at such a speed that liquid and gaseous fractions are separated by cyclonic separation and gravity forces induce the liquid fraction to drop to the bottom section (4) of the vessel; —removing the gaseous fraction from the interior of the top section of the vessel via a gas outlet conduit (8) which has an entrance opening which is located at or near the central axis (5); removing the liquid fraction from the interior of the bottom section (4) of the vessel via a plurality of liquid outlet openings (11

Abstract: A method for cyclonic separation of gaseous and liquid fractions from a multiphase fluid mixture comprises: providing a cyclonic separation vessel (1) having a bottom section (4), a top section (3) and a tubular midsection (2), which is co-axial to a central axis (5); injecting the multiphase fluid mixture into the vessel via an inlet conduit (6) which has a substantially tangential orientation relative to said central axis (5); inducing the fluid mixture to swirl within said tubular mid-section (2) of the vessel at such a speed that liquid and gaseous fractions are separated by cyclonic separation and gravity forces induce the liquid fraction to drop to the bottom section (4) of the vessel; —removing the gaseous fraction from the interior of the top section of the vessel via a gas outlet conduit (8) which has an entrance opening which is located at or near the central axis (5); removing the liquid fraction from the interior of the bottom section (4) of the vessel via a plurality of liquid outlet openings (11

Abstract: System for producing de-watered oil from an underground formation to the surface, which system comprises a reception well having a substantially horizontal or inclined section for primary oil/water separation of the well fluid; a water discharge system having an upstream end that is capable of receiving during normal operation liquid from the lower region of the downstream part of the reception well; and a secondary underground oil/water separator having an upstream end that is capable of receiving during normal operation liquid from the upper region of the downstream part of the reception well, the secondary separator having an outlet for de-watered oil that is in fluid communication with the inlet of a production well and an outlet for a water-enriched component that is in fluid communication with the water discharge system.

Abstract: This disclosure concerns a static oil/water separation chamber that is installed in a well extending to an underaround production formation containing hydrocarbon oil and water. The separation chamber has an inlet for receiving well fluid from a section below the separation chamber and two outlets. One outlet discharges a water-enriched component into a discharge well section, and the other outlet produces an oil-enriched component. The height of the separation chamber is larger than the thickness of the dispersion band that is formed under normal operating conditions.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the performance of a rotodynamic multi-phase flow booster, such as a wet gas compressor, utilizes a meter which measures the fluid density &rgr; upstream of the booster and controls the speed of rotation &OHgr; of the rotor(s) of the booster, such that the booster operates at its best efficiency point (BEP) irrespective of variations of the fluid density &rgr;. Suitably the flow booster is a wet gas compressor having rotor and/or stator blades having a rough leading edge and non-wettable sides, which promote a favorable finely, dispersed mist flow so that the compressor also operates at its BEP if the compressed wet gas has a high liquid content.

Abstract: A method and well is disclosed for desalinating saline aquifer water, wherein saline aquifer water flows from a subsurface aquifer layer directly into a downhole aquifer inflow region of a desalinated water production well in which a downhole assembly of one or more desalination and/or purification membranes is arranged, which separate the saline aquifer water into a primary desalinated water stream which is produced through the well to surface and a secondary concentrated brine reject stream, which can be disposed into a subsurface brine disposal zone.

Abstract: A method of producing gas from an underground formation, which is penetrated by a production well to surface, the method including allowing formation fluid comprising gas and liquid to flow into the production well at a production interval; allowing the formation fluid to separate into a gaseous component and a liquid component; producing the gaseous component through the production well to the surface; accumulating the liquid component in the production well so as to form a liquid column having, at a drainage interval of the production well, a pressure exceeding the pressure in the surrounding formation; and allowing liquid from the liquid column at the drainage interval to drain away into the surrounding formation, comprising treating the wall of the production well at the drainage interval and/or treating the formation surrounding the drainage interval so as to increase the flow rate of liquid into the surrounding formation.

Abstract: System for producing de-watered oil from an underground formation (2) to the surface (4), which system comprises a reception well (7) having a substantially horizontal or inclined section (10) for primary oil/water separation of the well fluid; a water discharge system (12) having an upstream end (13) that is capable of receiving during normal operation liquid from the lower region (14) of the downstream part (9) of the reception well (7); and a secondary underground oil/water separator (18) having an upstream end (19) that is capable of receiving during normal operation liquid from the upper region (20) of the downstream part (9) of the reception well (7), the secondary separator having an outlet (21) for de-watered oil that is in fluid communication with the inlet (5) of a production well and an outlet (22) for a water-enriched component that is in fluid communication with the water discharge system (12).

Abstract: A well (1) extending from the earth's surface (2) to an underground production formation (4) containing hydrocarbon oil and water, which well (1) above the production formation (4) is provided with a separation chamber (6) in which a static oil/water separator (10) is arranged comprising an inlet (12) to receive well fluid from an inlet well section (13) below the separation chamber (6), an outlet (15) for an oil-enriched component opening into the well section (16) above the separation chamber (6) and an outlet (18) for a water-enriched component opening into a discharge well section (19) below the separation chamber, wherein the height of the separation chamber (6) is larger than the thickness of the dispersion band that is formed under normal operation conditions.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the performance of a rotodynamic multi-phase flow booster, such as a wet gas compressor (1), utilizes a meter which measures the fluid density &rgr; upstream of the booster and controls the speed of rotation &OHgr; of the rotor(s) of the booster, such that the booster operates at its best efficiency point (BEP) irrespective of variations of the fluid density &rgr;. Suitably the flow booster is a wet gas compressor (1) having rotor and/or stator blades having a rough leading edge and non-wettable sides which promote a favorable finely dispersed mist flow so that the compressor (1) also operates at its BEP if the compressed wet gas has a high liquid content.

Abstract: A method is provided of reducing an amount of a waste component present in a hydrocarbon fluid produced from an earth formation via a wellbore formed in the earth formation, the hydrocarbon fluid flowing in a stream of fluid through the wellbore. The method includes (a) inducing at least part of the amount of the waste component to move into a second fluid present in the stream of fluid; (b) separating the second fluid with the at least part of the amount of the waste component included therein, from the hydrocarbon fluid; and (c) disposing the second fluid with the waste component included therein by injecting it into the earth formation via at least one of the wellbore and another wellbore formed in the earth formation.