Steam generation from low quality feedwater
First Claim
1. A method of producing steam, comprising:
- (a) introducing a feedwater stream into a contactor vessel;
(b) introducing superheated steam into said contactor vessel;
thereby(c) contacting said superheated steam with said feedwater;
thereby(d) producing saturated produced steam in said contactor vessel and precipitating minerals from said feedwater in said contactor vessel;
(e) superheating at least a portion of said produced steam in a superheater thereby generating additional superheated steam;
(f) recycling at least a portion of said additional superheated steam to said contactor vessel; and
(g) flowing another portion of said produced steam to a well, and introducing said other portion of said produced steam into said well to steam flood an underground formation intersected by said well.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Steam is produced from low quality feedwater. A feedwater stream and a superheated steam stream are introduced into a contactor vessel where the superheated steam is contacted with the feedwater thereby producing saturated steam in the contactor vessel and precipitating minerals from the feedwater in the contactor vessel. The produced steam is withdrawn from the contactor vessel and divided into a primary stream and a secondary stream. The primary stream of produced steam is flowed to a use terminal such as a well for injecting the same into a subsurface formation as part of a steam flood system or such as a steam turbine. The secondary stream of steam is superheated and recycled to the contactor vessel. Waste water containing the solid minerals precipitated from the feedwater within the contactor vessel is withdrawn from the contactor vessel through a waste water discharge conduit.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of producing steam, comprising:
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(a) introducing a feedwater stream into a contactor vessel; (b) introducing superheated steam into said contactor vessel;
thereby(c) contacting said superheated steam with said feedwater;
thereby(d) producing saturated produced steam in said contactor vessel and precipitating minerals from said feedwater in said contactor vessel; (e) superheating at least a portion of said produced steam in a superheater thereby generating additional superheated steam; (f) recycling at least a portion of said additional superheated steam to said contactor vessel; and (g) flowing another portion of said produced steam to a well, and introducing said other portion of said produced steam into said well to steam flood an underground formation intersected by said well. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A steam production system, comprising:
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contactor vessel means for contacting feedwater and superheated steam to produce saturated produced steam and waste water containing precipitated minerals; superheater means for superheating produced steam received from said contactor vessel means and thereby generating additional superheated steam; inlet conduit means for introducing said feedwater into said contactor vessel means; recycle conduit means for recycling at least a portion of said additional superheated steam to said contactor vessel means; outlet conduit means for withdrawing said saturated produced steam from said contactor vessel means and conducting at least a portion of said saturated produced steam to said superheater means; and flow conduit means for flowing another portion of said produced steam to a well and thus to an underground formation intersected by said well. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification