Abstract: A process for recovering oil is provided. The process entails recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil-bearing formation. Next, the process entails separating oil from the oil-water mixture and producing produced water having hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil. A pre-treatment process is undertaken to remove hardness and other scale-forming compounds. This entails precipitating hardness and other scale-forming compounds. After the precipitation of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, the produced water is directed to a membrane separation unit for filtering the produced water and producing a retentate having suspended solids, hardness and other scale-forming compounds, free oil and emulsified oil. The membrane separation unit also produces a permeate stream substantially free of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a ceramic membrane used in an oil recovery process. The cleaning method includes online and offline modes. In the online mode, the method includes periodically backflushing the ceramic membrane with an aqueous media. In the offline mode, the method includes backpulsing or statically cleaning the ceramic membrane by utilizing an aqueous alkaline media, an aqueous acidic media, and a liquid hydrocarbon solution.

Abstract: A process for treating feedwater with a microfiltration or ultrafiltration membrane unit and a downstream reverse osmosis unit. An aluminum salt coagulant is added and mixed with the feedwater upstream of a membrane separation unit. An aluminum salt coagulant is added and mixed with the wastewater upstream of the membrane separation unit. The membrane separation unit produces a permeate that is directed to the reverse osmosis membrane. The concentration of aluminum in the permeate is controlled by controlling the hydraulic residence time for aluminum salt reaction products in a concentrate loop associated with the membrane separation unit.

Abstract: A process for recovering oil is provided. The process entails recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil-bearing formation. Next, the process entails separating oil from the oil-water mixture and producing produced water having hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil. A pre-treatment process is undertaken to remove hardness and other scale-forming compounds. This entails precipitating hardness and other scale-forming compounds. After the precipitation of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, the produced water is directed to a membrane separation unit for filtering the produced water and producing a retentate having suspended solids, hardness and other scale-forming compounds, free oil and emulsified oil. The membrane separation unit also produces a permeate stream substantially free of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil.

Abstract: A method of recovering oil from an oil well includes recovering an oil-water mixture from the oil well and separating produced water from the oil-water mixture. Thereafter, the produced water is directed through a ceramic membrane that removes free oil and emulsified oil from the produced water. The method or process further includes cleaning the ceramic membrane in online and offline modes. In the offline mode, cleaning is achieved by periodically backflushing the ceramic membrane with an aqueous media having a pH of 13 or greater and a temperature of 60° C. or greater. Further, the ceramic membrane is cleaned in the offline mode by applying the following operations. In one or more clean-in-place operations, an aqueous alkaline media at a pH of 13 or higher and a temperature of 60° C. or higher is directed through the ceramic membrane. In one or more clean-in-place operations, the ceramic membrane is also cleaned with an aqueous acidic media that contains dissolved citric acid.

Abstract: A process for treating feedwater with a microfiltration or ultrafiltration membrane unit and a downstream reverse osmosis unit. An aluminum salt coagulant is added to the feedwater upstream of a membrane separation unit. The aluminum salt coagulant is mixed upstream of the membrane separation unit. A sufficient amount of the aluminum salt coagulant is mixed with the feedwater for a sufficient residence time to control the concentration of the aluminum in the permeate emitted by the membrane separation unit.

Abstract: A method of recovering oil from an oil-bearing formation including recovering an oil-water mixture from the oil-bearing formation and separating produced water from the oil-water mixture. The produced water includes phosphonate anti-scalant compounds. An oxidant is mixed with the produced water to deactivate the phosphonate anti-scalant compounds, thereby permitting dissolved solids in the produced water to precipitate. After deactivating the phosphonate anti-scalant compounds, the produced water is directed into a ceramic membrane which filters the produced water, producing a permeate stream and a retentate stream having suspended solids and precipitants therein.

Abstract: A gasifier waste stream from a gasification process is directed to a solids separator. A portion of the suspended solids in the waste stream is removed in the solids separator, producing slag and fly ash and a grey water effluent. The grey water effluent is directed to one or more ceramic membranes which remove at least portions of the remaining suspended solids in the grey water. Permeate from the ceramic membrane is directed to an evaporator located downstream from the ceramic membrane for further concentration. Placing the ceramic membrane upstream from the evaporator reduces fouling and plugging in the evaporator that would otherwise occur due to the suspended solids in the grey water.

Abstract: A gasifier waste stream from a gasification process is directed to a solids separator. A portion of the suspended solids in the waste stream is removed in the solids separator, producing slag and fly ash and a grey water effluent. The grey water effluent is directed to one or more ceramic membranes which remove at least portions of the remaining suspended solids in the grey water. Permeate from the ceramic membrane is directed to an evaporator located downstream from the ceramic membrane for further concentration. Placing the ceramic membrane upstream from the evaporator reduces fouling and plugging in the evaporator that would otherwise occur due to the suspended solids in the grey water.