An apparatus for gas and solids separation from down-hole fluids having an inner tube and an outer tube disposed about the inner tube. The annular region between the tubes contain a plurality of chambers, separated by fluid barriers. The chambers include an intake chamber to receive fluids from outside of the outer tube through an orifice, and processing chambers. Fluid communication between the intake and processing chambers is restricted to fluid flow through sets of tubes. Fluid communication between a lowermost processing chamber below the intake chamber and a lower processing chamber above the intake chamber is restricted to fluid flow through the inner tube. A block restricts fluid communication within the inner tube to other chambers above the intake chamber. Orifices in the inner tube of the processing chambers on either side of the block provide fluid communication across the block.

Method and system for separation of produced water into a water fraction, a solids fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction, comprising feeding produced water into a collapsible flexible bag maintained subsea by a protection structure; operating the flexible bag at an overpressure and thereby providing a predefined geometry of the flexible bag; maintaining the produced water in the flexible bag to allow for gravitational separation of the solids fraction with a higher density than water in a lower section and optionally separation of the hydrocarbon fraction with a lower density than water in an upper section; removing the water fraction from a section above the lower section; optionally removing hydrocarbons from the upper section and replacing the flexible bag to remove the solids fraction.

A separation system for separating the components of a multi-phase fluid includes at least three tanks coupled together in series, with each tank enclosing a column of multi-phase fluid and having a tubular center riser that is divided into a distribution section and a gathering section, and with each center riser being configured to established a fluid circulation pattern having a radially-outward travel first leg, a vertical travel second leg, and a radially-inward travel third leg within the corresponding column of multi-phase fluid that is configured to separate at least one of a gas component, an oil component, and a particulate matter component from a water component of the multi-phase fluid, and with the height of the columns of multi-phase fluid in the first tank and the second tank being substantially equal to each other and determined by the height of a pour-over opening in the center riser of the third tank.

A grease trap for separating waste from waste water that includes grey water and FOG includes a tank having a bottom and an interior volume. An inlet invert in the tank has a discharge end for discharging waste water into the tank, and an outlet invert in the tank has a drain end for removing grey water from the tank. A first baffle across the interior volume below the discharge of the inlet invert and above the drain end of the outlet invert has a hole allowing grey water to descend through the hole to a path under the first baffle to the drain end of the outlet invert. A second baffle across the interior volume above the discharge of the inlet invert has a hole allowing FOG to float through the hole in the second baffle to collect above the second baffle.

A separator system and method may provide a four-way separator that may separate a material and remove a hazardous material. The hazardous material may include gas and sand that may be removed by the four-way separator. The separator system and method may further provide a main unit that may include three chambers or recirculation hoppers, an auger sand extractor, and a strap tank. The separator system and method may provide a faster rig-up time and may be exclusively driven by hydraulics.

Systems and methods for removing iron from waste water employ one or more oxidizers, one or more treatment tanks having one or more self-generating and self-sustaining active sludge layers, and one or more spray-atomizing devices. A mixture of flowback fracturing water, or produced water, and the one or more oxidizers is spray-atomized by the spray-atomizing device inside the one or more treatment tanks. The atomized mixture settles in the one or more treatment tanks resulting in one or more self-generating and self-sustaining active sludge layers and one or more treated solutions. Additional mixtures of the flowback fracturing water, or produced water, and the one or more oxidizers may be continually spray-atomized into the one or more treatment tanks and filtered by the one or more sludge layer(s) so as to remove precipitated iron species from accumulated distillates and produce additional treated solutions for collection in one or more finish tanks.

Settling devices for separating particles from a bulk fluid with applications in numerous fields. The particle settling devices include a first stack of cones with a small opening oriented upwardly or downwardly. Optionally, the settling devices may include a second stack of cones with a small opening oriented downwardly or upwardly. The cones may be concave or convex. These devices are useful for separating small (millimeter or micron sized) particles from a bulk fluid with applications in numerous fields, such as biological (microbial, mammalian, plant, insect or algal) cell cultures, solid catalyst particle separation from a liquid or gas and waste water treatment.

An apparatus for gas and solids separation from down-hole fluids having an inner tube and an outer tube disposed about the inner tube. The annular region between the tubes contain a plurality of chambers, separated by fluid barriers. The chambers include an intake chamber to receive fluids from outside of the outer tube through an orifice, and processing chambers. Fluid communication between the intake and processing chambers is restricted to fluid flow through sets of tubes. Fluid communication between a lowermost processing chamber below the intake chamber and a lower processing chamber above the intake chamber is restricted to fluid flow through the inner tube. A block restricts fluid communication within the inner tube to other chambers above the intake chamber. Orifices in the inner tube of the processing chambers on either side of the block provide fluid communication across the block.

A vented baffle system is formed of a plurality of individual panel members, for use in a clarifier tank. The vented baffle system includes a plurality of inter-engaged individual panel members with each baffle having a unitarily integrated design. The panel members each may have one or more relief conduits directed to the center of the tank away from the vertical side wall.

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.