Water treating method for hot recovering heavy oil

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and apparatus for treating produced water from a heavy oil thermal recovery unit to achieve water recovery and recycle levels of greater than 80% and as high as 100% to achieve zero discharge criteria. The method includes the initial steps of capturing the waste heat energy from the high pressure steam separator located downstream of the steam generators. Further, transferring the heat energy into a heated separator and reboiler exchanger to distill oil reservo ir produced water and recover distilled water and a concentrated brine or solid product. The heated separator concentrated stream is circulated through the reboiler exchanger t o maintain from 1 % to about 50% mass vapour in the stream returning to the heated separator and prevent fouling and scaling. The apparatus also generates distilled water includes low pressure waste energy separator, heated separator and vapour compressor combing to the compelling circle-loop.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a high-efficiency water distillation method and equipment, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a high-efficiency water distillation method for heat recovery of heavy oil that minimizes clogging and fouling during long-term operation of the equipment. Background technique [0002] In many parts of the world, heavy oil, a hydrocarbon material with a much higher viscosity or a much lower API gravity (below 20° API, typically 7°-12° API) than conventional crude oil, is more difficult to recover and requires Subterranean reservoirs are produced using enhanced thermal stimulation techniques. Specifically, in Western Canada, heavy oil producers use techniques for injecting high pressure steam into reservoirs at pressures of approximately 1,500-3,000 psig (10.342-20.684 MPa), and in some cases as low as 150 psi (1.0342 MPa). Steam heat energy is produced by known steam generator equi...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The state of the art for thermal actuation is to drive reservoirs hard to increase recovery of heavy oil, resulting in higher production fluid temperatures at production wellheads

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