An automated produced water treatment system that injects ozone or an ozone-oxygen mixture upstream of produced water separators, with the dose rate changing dynamically as the produced water quality changes, as determined by continuous monitoring of the produced water quality by a plurality of sensors that detect water quality parameters in real time. The system may operate as a “slipstream” injection system, that draws a portion of produced water from the produced water pipeline and injects ozone or an ozone-oxygen mixture back into the pipeline with disrupting or slowing normal operations. Disinfectants or other additives may also be injected.

The present invention discloses a scalable modular fluid separation system at least comprising: a) a subsea separator with an inlet for receiving well fluids from a separator inlet stream; b) a gas stream piping from a gas stream outlet of the subsea separator; c) a booster pump in communication with the gas stream outlet of the subsea separator; d) a liquid stream piping from a liquid stream outlet of the subsea separator; and e) a liquid pressure booster in communication with the liquid stream outlet of the subsea separator.

The present invention discloses a scalable modular fluid separation system at least comprising: a) a subsea separator with an inlet for receiving well fluids from a separator inlet stream; b) a gas stream piping from a gas stream outlet of the subsea separator; c) a booster pump in communication with the gas stream outlet of the subsea separator; d) a liquid stream piping from a liquid stream outlet of the subsea separator; and e) a liquid pressure booster in communication with the liquid stream outlet of the subsea separator.

A method is provided herein for using produced water (PW), for example, for use in a fracturing fluid. The method includes performing ultrafiltration on the PW to form filtered PW, filtering seawater (SW) to form filtered SW, and blending the filtered PW with the filtered SW to form an aqueous blend.

Disclosed herein is a fracturing unit for hydraulic fracturing having an engine and a fracturing pump connected to the engine through a variable speed torque converter. Also disclosed is a hydraulic fracturing system using multiple fracturing units which are sized similar to ISO containers. A hydraulic fracturing system may also force flow back water, produced water, or fresh water through a heat exchanger so that heat from the fracturing engines can be transferred to these liquids in order to vaporize them. A force cooled fractioning unit then can accept the vapor/steam in order to condense the various components and produce distilled water for re-use in the fracturing process or for release into the environment.

Disclosed herein is a fracturing unit for hydraulic fracturing having an engine and a fracturing pump connected to the engine through a variable speed torque converter. Also disclosed is a hydraulic fracturing system using multiple fracturing units which are sized similar to ISO containers. A hydraulic fracturing system may also force flow back water, produced water, or fresh water through a heat exchanger so that heat from the fracturing engines can be transferred to these liquids in order to vaporize them. A force cooled fractioning unit then can accept the vapor/steam in order to condense the various components and produce distilled water for re-use in the fracturing process or for release into the environment.

A process for recovering oil is provided. The process entails recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil-bearing formation. Next, the process entails separating oil from the oil-water mixture and producing produced water having hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil. A pre-treatment process is undertaken to remove hardness and other scale-forming compounds. This entails precipitating hardness and other scale-forming compounds. After the precipitation of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, the produced water is directed to a membrane separation unit for filtering the produced water and producing a retentate having suspended solids, hardness and other scale-forming compounds, free oil and emulsified oil. The membrane separation unit also produces a permeate stream substantially free of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil. Thereafter, the permeate stream is chemically treated to enhance the recovery of oil in the oil-bearing formation. After treating the permeate stream from the membrane separation unit, the treated permeate is injected into the oil-bearing formation.

A process for recovering oil is provided. The process entails recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil-bearing formation. Next, the process entails separating oil from the oil-water mixture and producing produced water having hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil. A pre-treatment process is undertaken to remove hardness and other scale-forming compounds. This entails precipitating hardness and other scale-forming compounds. After the precipitation of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, the produced water is directed to a membrane separation unit for filtering the produced water and producing a retentate having suspended solids, hardness and other scale-forming compounds, free oil and emulsified oil. The membrane separation unit also produces a permeate stream substantially free of hardness and other scale-forming compounds, suspended solids, free oil and emulsified oil. Thereafter, the permeate stream is chemically treated to enhance the recovery of oil in the oil-bearing formation. After treating the permeate stream from the membrane separation unit, the treated permeate is injected into the oil-bearing formation.

The present invention provides a process for removing metal naphthenate from a crude hydrocarbon mixture comprising: —mixing said crude hydrocarbon mixture (1) comprising metal naphthenate with an acid (3) in the presence of water, wherein said acid converts said metal naphthenate to naphthenic acids and metal salts; —allowing said metal salt to partition into a water phase; —separating said crude heavy hydrocarbon mixture (5) comprising naphthenic acid and said water phase (6) comprising said metal salt; and —preferably pumping said water phase comprising metal salt to a formation.

The present invention provides a process for removing metal naphthenate from a crude hydrocarbon mixture comprising: —mixing said crude hydrocarbon mixture (1) comprising metal naphthenate with an acid (3) in the presence of water, wherein said acid converts said metal naphthenate to naphthenic acids and metal salts; —allowing said metal salt to partition into a water phase; —separating said crude heavy hydrocarbon mixture (5) comprising naphthenic acid and said water phase (6) comprising said metal salt; and —preferably pumping said water phase comprising metal salt to a formation.