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 subsurface soil purification method including: warming an activator liquid, for stimulating decomposer microorganisms that decompose a contaminant in subsurface soil, to a higher temperature than a groundwater temperature, and feeding the activator liquid into the subsurface soil by injecting the activator liquid into an in-ground injection well; warming an activator liquid, for stimulating decomposer microorganisms that decompose a contaminant in subsurface soil, the decomposer microorganisms being infused in the activator liquid, to a higher temperature than a groundwater temperature, and feeding the activator liquid into the subsurface soil by injecting the activator liquid into an in-ground injection well, or warming a purification liquid for decomposing a contaminant in subsurface soil, to a higher temperature than a groundwater temperature, and feeding the purification liquid into the subsurface soil by injecting the purification liquid into an in-ground injection well. The subsurface soil purification method also includes forcing air into the injection well, and feeding the air into the subsurface soil from a position in the injection well that is lower than a position in the injection well for feed-in of the activator liquid or the purification liquid.

A method and apparatus break down organic materials, typically contaminants, through oxidation. The method for the treatment of a volume of material, provides: a) introducing at least two electrodes into a location, the location containing the volume of material and the volume of material containing one or more species for treatment; b) providing connections between a voltage source and the at least two electrodes; c) applying a voltage of a first polarity to the connections for a first period of time, under the control of a voltage controller; d) applying a voltage of a second, reversed, polarity to the connections for a second period of time, under the control of the voltage controller; e) repeating steps c) and d) a plurality of times; preferably with steps c), d) and e) promoting oxidation of one or more of the one or more species for treatment.

A system and method for ground water protection below a pit mine that includes: a first back fill cover over an exposed ground water; layer of polystyrene foam; a rubber membrane placed over the first foam cover; closed cell extruded polystyrene foam placed over the rubber membrane; a layer of contaminated material over the closed cell extruded polystyrene foam, wherein the layer of contaminated material is covered by polystyrene foam, a rubber membrane and polystyrene foam over the rubber membrane; and top soil covering the layer of foam, rubber membrane and foam above the contaminated material.

Methods, systems, and compounds for degrading chlorinated compounds in water. A facile aqueous-based surface treatment of zero-valent iron is provided to increase the reactivity of a zero-valent iron material for degrading chlorinated compounds in the water without the use of a noble metal catalyst. Such a facile aqueous-based surface treatment can be implemented as a surface sulfidation pre-treatment of iron to increase its reactivity towards chlorinated contaminants in water. The disclosed facile aqueous-based surface treatment increases reactivity utilizing sulfur compounds for use in the degradation of the chlorinated compounds in the water.

The present invention is directed to a method of oxidizing an organic compound present in soil, groundwater, process water or wastewater comprising contacting such organic compound with a persulfate and an organic acid selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, lactic acid and citric acid, wherein the molar ratio of such organic acid to persulfate is between 1:100 and 3:1.

A method of remediation of soil and groundwater containing hydrocarbons and halogenated compounds. The method includes introducing a remediation composition into the soil that includes: (a) a first bioremediation material including a first blend of organisms capable of degrading the hydrocarbons; (b) a second bioremediation material including a second blend of organisms differing from the first blend of organisms that is chosen for degrading the halogenated compounds; (c) an organic compound such as a complex carbohydrate (e.g., food grade starch); and (d) a third blend of organisms degrading the organic compound. The degrading of the organic compound breaks the complex carbohydrate into smaller molecules that are utilized by the microorganisms of at least one of the first and second bioremediation materials during the degrading of the hydrocarbons and the halogenated compounds. The first bioremediation composition typically includes activated carbon capable of adsorbing the hydrocarbons and the halogenated compounds.

Methods for bioremediation of environmental media contaminated with at least one perchlorate compound. A Pseudomonas consortium of P. putida strain B, P. putida strain E, and P. fluorescens strain G was provided to contaminated water, soil, etc. under conditions to result in bioremediated water, soil, etc. In embodiments, the method is used ex-situ, e.g., in a reactor vessel, or is used in-situ.

A method for treating contaminant within contaminated soil and groundwater, especially deep aquifers, through in situ oxidative remediation of the contaminant by sparging, wherein the method includes multiple injection wells, injecting an oxidizing multi gas comprised of high concentration ozone gas (10-20% ozone by wt., 75-85% oxygen) at pressures up to 500 psi (34.5 bar) to reach well depths in excess of 1100 feet (335 meters) and when necessary compressed ambient air at pressures up to 500 psi (34.5 bar).

A composition for use in remediation of soil and groundwater containing hydrocarbons and halogenated compounds. The remediation composition includes: (a) a first bioremediation material including a first blend of organisms capable of degrading the hydrocarbons; (b) a second bioremediation material including a second blend of organisms differing from the first blend of organisms that is chosen for degrading the halogenated compounds; (c) an organic compound such as a complex carbohydrate (e.g., food grade starch); and (d) a third blend of organisms capable of degrading the organic compound. The degrading of the organic compound by the third blend of organisms breaks the complex carbohydrate into smaller molecules that are utilized by the microorganisms of at least one of the first and second bioremediation materials during the degrading of the hydrocarbons and the halogenated compounds. The first bioremediation composition typically includes activated carbon capable of adsorbing the hydrocarbons and the halogenated compounds.