| 主权项 |
1. A method for removing contaminants from produced water, comprising;
providing a supply of produced water, wherein the supply of the produced water is located off-shore supplied from either a surface situated or a below surface situated processing facility; providing a subsea fluid container system with a filled capacity of at least 5,000 m3 or as determined by the required throughput of produced water, nature of contaminants including solids and required discharge clarified water quality, wherein the container system comprises at least a flexible bladder for containing the produced water, wherein the flexible to bladder is protected by a rigid external structure that permits inflow and outflow of surrounding water to equalize pressure on either side of the flexible bladder irrespective of volume of produced water contained therein and by so doing overcoming the limitations of depth and capacity, the flexible bladder having at least an inlet and at least an outlet with the inlet and the outlet being connected to outside the external rigid structure; filling the flexible bladder to its maximum working volume with the produced water through at least a produced water inlet pipe having the associated outlet extending into the flexible bladder, wherein the produced water is introduced into the flexible bladder at a sufficient rate to allow the solids to settle at the bottom of the flexible bladder through density difference with the produced water under the influence of gravity, and the hydrocarbons to rise to the top of the bladder through density difference with the produced water under the influence of gravity, forming a multi-phase system of at least three phases, a solid phase at the bottom of the bladder, an intermediate phase containing clarified water, and a top phase or phases containing hydrocarbons; removing the hydrocarbons from the flexible bladder through one or more hydrocarbon return outlet pipes having the associated inlet terminating in the top phase or phases containing hydrocarbons; removing the clarified water from the flexible bladder through a clarified water outlet pipe having the associated inlet terminating in the intermediate phase containing the clarified water; terminating the produced water inlet pipe at a different point in the bladder to that of the inlet of the clarified water pipe and providing at least an inlet pipe distribution device and at least a clarified water inlet pipe device and configuration as a means of directing the produced water and contaminants flow paths inside the bladder to promote the clarification of the produced water; and discharging the clarified water into a water column external to the containment system. |
