Methods and systems for treating oil sands tailings streams using multiple dosages of lime are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method comprises providing a tailings stream including 3-40% solids by total weight, combining the tailings stream with a first dosage of lime to produce a first mixture having a pH of less than 12.0, and then combining the first mixture with a polymer to produce a second mixture. In some embodiments, the method can further include combining the second mixture with a second dosage of lime to produce a third mixture having a pH greater than 12.0, and dewatering the third mixture in a centrifuge unit and/or a pressure filtration unit to produce a product stream having 55% or more solids by weight.

Methods are provided for treating intimately dispersed mixtures of water, bitumen, and fine clay particles, such as oil sands mature fine tailings (MFT). Select methods use dissolved silicate ions and a base (alkali), optionally in combination with a biopolymer, to flocculate a slurry. A mixing regime is disclosed involving the addition to MFT of silicate ions in solution and alkali, to initiate aggregation/destabilization of clay particles. Methods are exemplified that provide distinct sediment layers in conjunction with the release of residual bitumen (for example 40-50% of the initial bitumen content). In these exemplified embodiments, a densely packed bottom layer containing ˜75 wt. % solids showed high yield stress values (3.5-5.5 kPa) and entrapped little residual bitumen (0.2-0.3 wt. %). The methods accordingly segregate a material suitable for reclamation.

This invention provides a composition comprising I. at least one reaction product between a nitrogen-free monohydric alcohol and an aldehyde or ketone, and II. at least one reaction product between a nitrogen-free sugar alcohol and an aldehyde or ketone, and optionally III. at least one reaction product from III.a) formaldehyde, and III.b) an amine, selected from the group consisting of primary alkyl amines having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and primary hydroxy alkyl amines having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and optionally IV. at least one solid suppression agent selected from the group consisting of IV(a). alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxides IV(b). mono-, di- or tri-hydroxy alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl amines, IV(c). mono-, di- or tri-alkyl, aryl or alkylaryl primary, secondary and tertiary amines or IV(d). multifunctional amines and IV(e). mixtures of compounds of groups IV(a) to IV(c). wherein alkyl is C.sub.1 to C.sub.15, aryl is C.sub.6 to C.sub.15 and alkylaryl is C.sub.7 to C.sub.15.

Disclosed herein are graphene quantum dot tagged water source treatment compounds or polymers, and methods of making and using. Also described herein are tagged compositions including an industrial water source treatment compound or polymer combined with a graphene quantum dot tagged water source treatment compound or polymer. The tagged materials are tailored to fluoresce at wavelengths with minimized correspondence to the natural or “background” fluorescence of irradiated materials in industrial water sources, enabling quantification of the concentration of the water source treatment compound or polymer in situ by irradiation and fluorescence measurement of the water source containing the tagged water source treatment compound or polymer. The fluorescence measurement methods are similarly useful to quantify mixtures of tagged and untagged water source treatment compounds or polymers present in an industrial water source.

Oilfield water storage systems, methods of managing the same, and film forming compositions are provided herein. In an embodiment, an oilfield water storage system includes a water storage pond, a surface spreading layer on a surface of the water storage pond, and a water outlet pipe disposed in fluid communication with the water storage pond below the surface treatment layer. The surface spreading layer includes a surface spreading agent.

A process to treat metal or mineral ores is disclosed. The metal or mineral ore is a metallic sulphide ore including copper, gold, platinum, silver, nickel, molybdenum, arsenic sulphides, cobalt, zinc, lead, tin, antimony, or combinations thereof with a collector composition including a dimeric fatty nitrile. The dimeric fatty nitrile is prepared by a process including reacting a dimer fatty acid with ammonia at a temperature between about 200° C. and about 400° C. to form a dimeric amide and removing water from the dimeric amide to form the dimeric nitrile. The present disclosure also provides a collector composition containing the dimeric fatty nitrile and at least one further collector or frother compound.

The subject invention provides microbe-based products, as well as their use to improve oil production and refining efficiency by, for example, remediating the disposable layers in oil tanks and other oil storage units. In preferred embodiments, the microbe-based products comprise biochemical-producing yeast and growth by-products thereof, such as, e.g., biosurfactants. The subject invention can be used to remediate rag layer and/or other dissolved solid layers that form in water-oil emulsions. Furthermore, the subject invention can be used for remediating solid impurities, such as sand, scale, rust and clay, in produced water, flow-back, brine, and/or fracking fluids.

A recycling system includes a reaction kettle, a stirring device, and an electromagnetic device. The reaction kettle is provided with a liquid inlet, a gas inlet, a liquid outlet, and a slag discharge port. The stirring device is arranged on the reaction kettle. The stirring device includes a stirring rod and at least one stirring paddle. One end of the stirring rod extends into the reaction kettle, and the at least one stirring paddle is arranged on the end of the stirring rod. The electromagnetic device includes a first electromagnetic coil, and the first electromagnetic coil is wound on an outer circumferential surface of the reaction kettle. The arrangement of the stirring device allows the geothermal water to fully contact with the gas, which is conducive for the suspension of the ferroferric oxide in the geothermal water.

A method treats an aqueous system to inhibit growth of one or more micro-organisms therein and/or to reduce the number of live micro-organisms therein. The method includes adding treatment agents to an aqueous system wherein said treatment agents include (a) a phosphonium compound; and (b) a compound having formula: M(XO.sub.2).sub.n wherein: M is a Group I or Group II metal; X is a halogen; and n is 1 or 2.

An aqueous feed stream having a first total dissolved solids (TDS) level is flowed to a forward osmosis separator. The aqueous feed stream includes seawater. An aqueous draw stream having a second TDS level is flowed to the forward osmosis separator. The second TDS level is greater than the first TDS level. A disposal stream and an injection fluid stream is produced by the forward osmosis separator by allowing water to pass from the aqueous feed stream to the aqueous draw stream through a membrane of the forward osmosis separator based on a difference between the first TDS level and the seconds TDS level. The injection fluid stream is flowed from the osmosis separator to a subterranean formation.