A system for sand cleaning including: a cleaning unit arranged to receive oil impregnated sand; the unit including a chamber having an impeller, said impeller arranged to agitate the oil impregnated sand in a base of the unit; an aperture in the base of the unit arranged to discharge the treated sand; an oil outlet adjacent to a top of the unit arranged to discharge the separated oil.

A water treatment system and method. Influent water produced from an oil and gas production or the like is circulated in a multistage unit where the water is treated by degassing the water by saturating the water with air, stripping volatile compounds from the water, evaporating non-aqueous phase liquid petroleum from the water, repeatedly stripping and equilibrating inorganic carbons in the water, subliming semi-solids from the water, and breaking colloids in the water using continuous cavitation. Water from the multistage unit is clarified through floatation and sedimentation and biological material in the water is inactivated using irradiation. Water is then filtered before being provided as treated water for an application specific process such as electro desalination reversal, fracking reuse, or other wastewater recovery.

Systems and methods for treating produced water and/or flowback water from fracking operations include: an oil water separator; a first filter downstream of the oil water separator; and an electrocoagulation unit downstream of the first filter. Systems and methods can be used for producing a concentrated brine for use in industrial applications and a separate stream of fresh water.

Flotation separation apparatus and methods are described herein, comprising a vessel having a plurality of flow guides oriented vertically in the vessel, a liquid inlet at a lower part of the vessel, a gas inlet at the lower part of the vessel, a first liquid outlet at an upper part of the vessel, a second liquid outlet at the lower part of the vessel, and a gas outlet at the upper part of the vessel.

A method of treating oil and gas produced water may include: receiving produced water from one or more wells; separating an aqueous portion of the produced water from oil and solids included in the produced water in order to provide recovered water; performing anaerobic bio-digestion of organic matter included in the produced water using a biomass mixture of anaerobic bacteria obtained from a plurality of wells; aerating the recovered water in order to promote metal precipitation; and performing aerobic bio-digestion of organic matter present in the recovered water. Some embodiments may also include one or more of anoxic equalization, filtration, pasteurization, reverse osmosis, and biocide treatment of the recovered water. The recovered water may be used for oil and gas well fracking and/or land and stream application. Other methods of treating oil and gas produced water are also described.

A separator is provided for removing hydrocarbons and fluid from solids from a slurry. The separator includes a first separator tank for receiving a slurry of fluid and solids contaminated with hydrocarbons, said first separator tank comprising agitating means for agitating hydrocarbons to separate from the slurry and rise as foam and comprising a lower end to collect the solids; a first centrifuge in communication with the lower end of the first separator tank to receive and centrifuge the solids to further remove hydrocarbons therefrom, said first centrifuge comprising a fluid return to return fluids to the first separator tank; a second separator tank for receiving solids from the first centrifuge, said second separator tank comprising agitator means for agitating hydrocarbons to separate from the slurry and rise as foam and comprising a lower end to collect solids; a second centrifuge in communication with the lower end of the second separator tank to receive and centrifuge the solids to further remove hydrocarbons therefrom, said second centrifuge comprising a fluid return to return fluids to the second separator tank; and one or more settling tanks connected in series with each of said first and second separator tanks for further separation of hydrocarbons from fluid. Solids exiting the first and second centrifuges are at least 99% free of hydrocarbons.

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for prolonging a continuous operation period of a methanol-to-olefins water washing process. The method may perform micro cyclone treatment on methanol-to-olefins washing water. The method may also deliver the washing water subjected to micro cyclone treatment and oil removal to a fluidized bed separator for treatment. The method may also adjust the backwash flow to release the intercepted catalyst powder and empty the dirt holding capacity of a pore. The method may also perform three-phase separation on a gas-liquid-solid mixture subjected to backwash, returning the obtained filter media to a particle bed layer, and respectively discharging a backwashing liquid a backwashing gas which comprise a catalyst. The method may also switch the fluidized bed separator to a normal working state, completing the active regeneration of the particle bed layer, and continuing to operate.

Methods of making various capillary foams are provided. The foams can include liquid foams having a plurality of particles connected by a network of a secondary fluid at the interface between the discontinuous and continuous phase. The foams can also include solid foams where the continuous phases (bulk fluid) is removed to produce the solid foam having high overall porosities and low densities. Densities as low as 0.3 g cm.sup.3 and porosities as high as 95% or higher can be achieved. The secondary fluid can be polymerized to further strengthen the solid foam. Methods and devices are also provided for oil recovery from water using a capillary foam. The methods can include forming a capillary foam wherein the oil is the secondary fluid, and wherein the foam can transport the oil to the surface of the water.

A process for separation of a slurry by radially injecting a stream of a nanogas solution at a shear-focus volume within a pipe; passing an aqueous slurry through the pipe along a direction of flow and through the shear-focus volume; and shearing and/or admixing the slurry with the nanogas solution within the shear-focus volume.

A separation tank for the separation of a mixture of oil, gas, water, and solids obtained from an oil field includes distinct regions vertically located within the tank interior where constituent components of the mixture can collect. The inflowing mixture may be directed to a vertical column extending inside the separation tank and can be introduced to the tank interior through a swirl vane diffuser configured to impart a helical direction to the inflowing mixture that assist separation of the mixture component. To further facilitate separation of oil from the mixture, the separation tank may be operatively associated with an aeration system configured to generate and introduce an aerated liquid to the tank interior. Gas dissolved in the aerated liquid may form microbubbles that can naturally adhere to the oil and solids separate it from the mixture which can improve the quality of the water.