Oil field steam generation using untreated water

摘要

An improved method of steam generation for thermal oil recovery by delivering the produced oil-water emulsion, together with a hot hydrocarbon liquid, to a flash vessel where most of the water is flashed off as steam, which can be used for injection in further thermal oil production; while the liquid phase, containing oil, entrained solids and some water is passed to a separator, where a portion of the oil is removed as sales product, most of the water and solids are removed as waste and the remaining oil and traces of water are recirculated to a heater and a flash vessel to provide heat for further processing. If desired, the produced water-oil emulsion may first be passed through a separator vessel which divides the emulsion into three streams, hydrocarbon liquid, gas and water; with hydrocarbon liquid being sent to a coalescer vessel to produce sales quality oil, the gases sent to a fuel or flare system and the water being treated as described above.

主权项

1. An improved method of steam injection for thermal oil recovery comprising:
delivering a feed stream containing water to a flash vessel; delivering a hot hydrocarbon liquid stream to said flash vessel separately from said feed stream; directly contacting said feed stream and said hot hydrocarbon liquid stream in said flash vessel causing most of said water from said feed stream to flash off as steam and causing said feed stream and said hot hydrocarbon liquid stream to join together as a liquid phase containing oil, entrained solids, and water; removing said steam from said flash vessel as a stream feed that is suitable for injection in further thermal oil production; and removing said liquid phase from said flash vessel as a liquid stream; passing said liquid stream to a separator vessel causing said liquid stream to separate into a sales oil stream, a waste water stream, and an oil stream.