A method for chemical treatment includes operating a chemical pump having a flow rate capacity of a selected multiple of a flow rate of a chemical required to treat at least one of a well and surface equipment associated therewith. The operating is performed at at least one selected time and for at least one selected duration inversely proportional to the flow rate capacity such that a volume of the chemical pumped in a predetermined time interval substantially equals a required volume of the chemical during the predetermined time interval.

In a bubble lift system, a pressurized chamber at an upper end portion of a riser pipe applies a pressure to an upper portion inside the riser pipe to suppress an increase in the volume ratio of bubbles to a fluid mixture rising inside the riser pipe in a shallow water region. The upper end of the riser pipe is not opened to the atmosphere but is inserted into the pressurized chamber under a high pressure to thereby prevent expansion of the bubbles and gas. In addition, a deaerator for discharging bubbles separated by a centrifugal force is also provided in a middle portion of the riser pipe in a shallow water region to distribute the bubbles more evenly inside the whole riser pipe. The bubble lift system and a bubble lift method thus provided are efficient and employable even in a deep water region.

In a bubble lift system, a pressurized chamber at an upper end portion of a riser pipe applies a pressure to an upper portion inside the riser pipe to suppress an increase in the volume ratio of bubbles to a fluid mixture rising inside the riser pipe in a shallow water region. The upper end of the riser pipe is not opened to the atmosphere but is inserted into the pressurized chamber under a high pressure to thereby prevent expansion of the bubbles and gas. In addition, a deaerator for discharging bubbles separated by a centrifugal force is also provided in a middle portion of the riser pipe in a shallow water region to distribute the bubbles more evenly inside the whole riser pipe. The bubble lift system and a bubble lift method thus provided are efficient and employable even in a deep water region.

The present disclosure provides methods and apparati for separating liquids from production gases and recovering the liquids. The methods and apparati of the present disclosure can reduce or eliminate emissions compared to standard methods and devices and also eliminate the need for haul away of liquids by collecting compressor system liquids in charge vessel(s). The methods and apparati of the present disclosure can also be used to fuel the engines which operate the compressor systems using gas from the compressor drains and the gas used to drain the charge vessel(s).

The present disclosure provides methods and apparati for separating liquids from production gases and recovering the liquids. The methods and apparati of the present disclosure can reduce or eliminate emissions compared to standard methods and devices and also eliminate the need for haul away of liquids by collecting compressor system liquids in charge vessel(s). The methods and apparati of the present disclosure can also be used to fuel the engines which operate the compressor systems using gas from the compressor drains and the gas used to drain the charge vessel(s).

A desalination brine dispersal apparatus and method employ airlift to remove, oxygenate and disperse brine from a desalination apparatus. The apparatus includes a brine removal conduit having a brine inlet that receives brine from the desalination apparatus, a plurality of brine outlets submerged in seawater and one or more air introduction points located at depths below the brine outlets. The supplied air oxygenates and moves brine through the brine removal conduit and outlets via airlift and disperses the brine into seawater away from the brine removal conduit. The apparatus avoids the formation of concentrated, high shear brine plumes and can disperse brine into seawater over a wide area well away from the brine removal conduit.

A pump comprises: a vertically-extending conduit having an intermediate portion extending between lower and upper portions, the intermediate portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the upper portions, a lift arrangement including an array of ports arranged over a length of the lower portion, each port of the array having a terminus at the lower portion and extending horizontally away from the terminus such that the working fluid is directed towards a center of the conduit; and an injector having a terminus at the top of the intermediate portion and extending vertically downwardly such that the working fluid is directed vertically upwardly, the terminus of the injector being defined by a cylindrical groove, an annular chamber surrounding the injector, having a length and communicating with the injector through a row of apertures spaced a distance from the junction of the transition portion and the intermediate portion.

A pump comprises: a vertically-extending conduit having an intermediate portion extending between lower and upper portions, the intermediate portion having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the upper portions, a lift arrangement including an array of ports arranged over a length of the lower portion, each port of the array having a terminus at the lower portion and extending horizontally away from the terminus such that the working fluid is directed towards a center of the conduit; and an injector having a terminus at the top of the intermediate portion and extending vertically downwardly such that the working fluid is directed vertically upwardly, the terminus of the injector being defined by a cylindrical groove, an annular chamber surrounding the injector, having a length and communicating with the injector through a row of apertures spaced a distance from the junction of the transition portion and the intermediate portion.

A submersible reverse osmosis desalination apparatus and method employs airlift to remove desalinated water from the apparatus via as annular flow regime over a substantial portion of the product water discharge conduit. Use of a high air fraction for airlift operation and an annular flow regime significantly lowers the weight of the product water column, as well as the backpressure on the downstream side of the osmotic membranes and at the bottom of the discharge water conduit. This permits deployment of the apparatus at reduced depths and in many eases closer to shore. In preferred embodiments the apparatus relies wholly upon hydrostatic pressure to drive seawater through the osmotic membranes, and continuously desalinates seawater and delivers pure water to the discharge water conduit without using any submerged moving parts subject to wear or breakage.

A flow management and separation system for a wellbore having a horizontal section, vertical section and intermediate build section, a production tubing, and an annulus surrounding the production tubing, is combined with a primary vertical lift device disposed in the intermediate build section or a heel segment of the horizontal section. The fluid flow management system may be located adjacent to and downhole from the primary vertical lift device. The system includes an intake to an intake passage, to receive produced fluids from the reservoir; a wavebreaker for calming produced fluid flow; a fluidseeker having a rotatable inlet extension having a weighted keel and an internal bypass passage in fluid communication with the intake flow passage; and a separator for separating gas and liquid phases uphole from the fluidseeker.