Membrane Coalescing Contactor for Polymer-Flood Produced Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating polymer-flood produced water are inefficient and costly due to high viscosity issues, leading to chemical loss and revenue loss, as conventional methods fail to effectively separate oil and viscosifying polymers, and existing processes like oxidizing agents result in excessive consumption and inability to recover oil.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a membrane coalescing contactor to separate pure oil streams and deoiled viscosified water containing residual viscosifying polymers, where the membrane coalescing contactor employs microporous hollow fiber or tubular membranes to coalesce oil droplets and separate them from the water phase, allowing for the recovery of both oil and polymers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional treatment methods (flotation, gravity separation, liquid/liquid hydrocyclones) are used on polymer-flood produced water, then the treatment process is simple, but the methods are ineffective due to high viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a membrane coalescing contactor with microporous hollow fiber membranes to separate oil and polymer from produced water. The porous membrane structure allows water to pass through while retaining oil droplets and polymer molecules, effectively addressing the high viscosity problem that renders conventional separation methods ineffective.
2Speed
If oxidizing agents are used to break polymer chains and reduce viscosity, then the produced water viscosity is reduced below 2 cps in less than 5 hours, but this induces chemical loss and high oxidizing agent consumption costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes polymers from the produced water stream using membrane coalescence technology, allowing polymer recovery and reuse. This eliminates the need for oxidizing agents that break down polymer chains, preventing chemical loss and avoiding the costs associated with excessive oxidizing agent consumption.
3Speed
If oxidizing agents are used to treat produced water, then viscosity is reduced quickly, but oil cannot be recovered which induces revenue loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the separation process into distinct phases using the membrane coalescing contactor: oil droplets are coalesced and separated from the water phase, while polymer molecules are retained and recovered. This segmentation allows simultaneous recovery of both oil and polymer without requiring oxidizing agents, preventing revenue loss while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
4Productivity
If produced water is reinjected to reduce environmental footprint and water management costs, then environmental and operational benefits are achieved, but reservoir plugging occurs due to undesired compounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the composition parameters of produced water by removing oil and polymer contaminants through membrane coalescence treatment. This parameter modification eliminates harmful substances that could cause reservoir plugging, enabling safe reinjection while maintaining the environmental and operational benefits of water reuse.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method effectively separates oil and viscosifying polymers, reducing chemical and operational costs by enabling efficient oil recovery and polymer reuse, while allowing deoiled water to be reinjected or discharged, thus improving the economic viability of water management in oil and gas fields.
Implementation Method 1
a first step of directing the produced water to a membrane coalescing contactor
Implementation Method 2
recovering : ∘ the pure oil stream from the membrane of said membrane coalescing contactor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
The present invention concerns a method for recovering pure oil stream and viscosifying polymers in polymer-flood produced water issued from an oil and gas field using a membrane coalescing contactor.