Sulfate-Rich Saline Stream De-scaling via Precipitation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for treating produced water from oil fields are inefficient and costly due to the presence of radioactive alkaline earth cations and sulfate-rich streams, which pose handling hazards and limit the effectiveness of desalination processes in seawater and oil-gas fields.

Innovation Solution

A method for separating magnesium as brucite and sulfate as calcium sulfoaluminate or calcium sulfoferrate from sulfate-rich saline streams, allowing for de-scaling and de-salting, which enhances desalination efficiency and enables the reuse of treated water in oil-gas fields or as a feedstock for chlor-alkali industries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional de-oiling and desalination methods are used on produced water, then oil removal is achieved, but treatment cost increases substantially due to radioactive NORM and sulfate content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil removal effectivenessVSAvoidtreatment cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment process is divided into distinct stages: first stage removes oil droplets greater than 100 microns using sludge catchers, second stage removes dispersed oil droplets greater than 15-20 microns using corrugated plate separators or hydrocyclones, and third stage polishes to remove oil contents of about 10 microns using induced gas flotation or adsorption. This segmentation allows each stage to target specific oil sizes efficiently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes radioactive NORM (strontium, barium, radium) and sulfate from produced water through specialized treatment processes before the conventional de-oiling stages, preventing these contaminants from interfering with subsequent treatment steps and reducing overall treatment complexity and cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

If produced water is directly disposed by re-injection without treatment, then treatment cost is minimized, but environmental and technical hazards arise from radioactive NORM

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposal costVSAvoidradiation hazard

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful radioactive NORM and sulfate contaminants into removable targets for treatment. By specifically targeting strontium, barium, radium, and sulfate through precipitation and filtration processes, the system transforms these hazardous substances into separable components that can be removed, allowing the treated water to be safely re-injected or reused

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If multi-stage de-oiling processes are applied to produced water, then oil separation efficiency improves, but process complexity and operational cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoil separation efficiencyVSAvoidnumber of processing stages

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by removing radioactive NORM and sulfate from produced water before the conventional multi-stage de-oiling process. This pre-treatment prevents interference with subsequent oil separation stages, allowing each stage to operate more efficiently and reducing the need for excessive polishing steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 approach effectively de-scales sulfate-rich streams, improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of desalination processes, allowing for the safe handling and reuse of treated water, reducing radiation hazards, and increasing hydrocarbons recovery.

Implementation Method 1

separating magnesium as brucite

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPrecipitation: Precipitation

Implementation Method 2

separating sulfate as calcium sulfoaluminate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPrecipitation: Precipitation

Implementation Method 3

Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) desalination process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 4

produce a distillate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentUS10280103B1Treatment of saline streams

Publication Date: 2019.05.07 BADER MANSOUR S

AI summary

The invention presents innovative methods to de-scale sulfate-rich saline streams such as seawater and the like in conjunction with desalination processes. The effective de-scaling of such streams by the inventive methods: (1) enhances the performance, efficiency and cost effectiveness of desalination processes; and (2) allows the viable use of the de-scaled reject brine from desalination processes, for example, as a suitable saline water for oil-gas field's water injection operations to improve hydrocarbons recovery and/or as a feed stock for chlor-alkali industries.