PROCESS FOR SEPARATION AND RECOVERY OF CUTTINGS, EMULSION AND SLURRY COMPONENTS
First Claim
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1. A method for treating oilfield wastes comprising:
- separating an oilfield waste feed into a first vapor stream and a first solids stream via thermal desorption, the first vapor stream comprising hydrocarbon vapor, water vapor, and solid fines, the first solids stream comprising salts and solids having a larger average mass than the solid fines; and
separating the solid fines from the first vapor stream to produce a second vapor stream and a second solids stream, the second vapor stream comprising hydrocarbon and water vapors and being substantially free of solids.
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Abstract
This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for separating and purifying components from mixtures and emulsions containing hydrocarbons, water, salt, and mineral solids. Key unit operations are thermal desorbing, hot filtering, direct contact condensing, solids leaching, evaporating, and salt precipitating. Preferred embodiments of the process and system use process-generated fuel, leach water, and hot combustion gas to conduct thermal desorption, solids leaching, and salt precipitating. Use of process generated streams for key unit operations greatly reduces the need for purchased utilities and contributes both to process efficiency and economy.
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22 Claims
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1. A method for treating oilfield wastes comprising:
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separating an oilfield waste feed into a first vapor stream and a first solids stream via thermal desorption, the first vapor stream comprising hydrocarbon vapor, water vapor, and solid fines, the first solids stream comprising salts and solids having a larger average mass than the solid fines; and separating the solid fines from the first vapor stream to produce a second vapor stream and a second solids stream, the second vapor stream comprising hydrocarbon and water vapors and being substantially free of solids. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for treating oilfield wastes comprising:
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a thermal desorber, receiving waste feed and producing a first stream of hydrocarbon and water vapors that contain some solid fines and a second stream of mineral and salt solids that are substantially free of hydrocarbons and moisture; a hot vapor filter, receiving said first stream of hydrocarbon and water vapors that contain some solid fines, and generating a solids-free vapor stream and a stream of solid fines; a vapor condenser, receiving the solids-free vapor stream, and generating a mixed liquids stream comprising hydrocarbons and water; a liquids separator, receiving the mixed liquids stream, and generating a liquid hydrocarbon stream and a first liquid water stream; a solids leacher, receiving said second stream of mineral and salt solids from the thermal desorber and receiving said stream of solid fines from the hot vapor filter, and generating a stream of salt-free damp solids, and a stream of salt brine; a salt crystallizer, receiving the stream of salt brine, and generating damp salt cake and water vapor; and a water vapor condenser, receiving the water vapor, and generating a second liquid water stream.
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9. A system comprising:
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a thermal desorber receiving an oilfield waste feed and applying thermal energy to the oilfield waste feed in order to vaporize liquid components in the oilfield waste feed thus generating a first vapor stream and a solids stream, the solids stream including a first portion of solids in the oilfield waste feed; and a hot filter receiving the first vapor stream and filtering the first vapor stream in order to remove a second portion of solids from the first vapor stream thus generating a second vapor stream and a second solids stream, an average particle mass of the second solids stream being smaller than an average particle mass of the first solids stream. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification