Amcol International Corporation

Jeffrey J Smith

Michael R Johnson

Jerald W Darlington, Jr

John Occhipinti

Michael A Berger

Elmo Robichaux, Jr

Gerard A Just

An improved production water treatment system and method are disclosed. The treatment apparatus includes a vertically oriented vessel with tangentially disposed injection nozzles including one or more injection nozzles for the introduction of production water and one or more injection nozzles for the introduction of recycled water from the vessel and a sparge gas. The tangential orientation of the injection nozzles creates a cyclonic flow within the vessel for improved sparge gas bubble/hydrocarbon contact. A hydrocarbon-rich layer migrates to the top surface of the liquid in the vessel where it is removed about a center axis of the vessel. The resulting hydrocarbon-lean production water has a sufficiently low hydrocarbon content that it is eligible for more intensive processing, such as with organophillic clay cartridges.

Method and apparatus for removing hydrocarbons from water

System in fluid communication with an oil-contaminated water supply, such as a water leg portion of an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank, for conveying the separated water into contact with an organophilic clay in a vessel maintained at an operating pressure of at least 10 psig, such that the hydrocarbons and other organic material will be adsorbed onto the organophilic clay and will be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination.

Method for removing oil from water

Apparatus in fluid communication with a water leg portion of a hydrocarbon-contaminated water, e.g., a water leg portion of an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank for conveying water, separated from oil, into contact with organophilic media canisters such that the hydrocarbons and other organic materials commingled with the sump tank water will be adsorbed onto the organophilic media and detected by the embedded probe in selected canisters. The canisters are provided in a plurality of stacks and are in fluid communication with a header disposed at the bottom of the vessel housing the various stacks of canisters. Solids that do not pass through the canisters are accumulated at the bottom of the vessel and easily drained through a drain port. The water will pass through the media and will be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination. At some point in time, the organophilic media will become &ldquo;spent&rdquo; and at a certain &ldquo;spent level&rdquo;, the saturated condition of the organomedia will be electronically detected by the embedded probe and alarm/control panel. The alarm indicates that the &ldquo;spent&rdquo; organophilic media should be replaced with fresh media or the spent media regenerated.

Method and apparatus for removing oil from water including monitoring of adsorbent saturation

Method for removing oil from water including monitoring of adsorbent saturation

Method and apparatus for removing oil from water including monitoring of absorbent saturation

Apparatus in fluid communication with a water leg portion of a hydrocarbon-contaminated water, e.g., a water leg portion of an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank for conveying water, separated from oil, into contact with organophilic clay cannisters such that the hydrocarbons and other organic materials commingled with the sump tank water will be adsorbed onto the organophilic clay and detected by the embedded probe in selected cannisters. The water will pass through the clay and will be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination. At some point in time, the organophilic clay will become &ldquo;spent&rdquo; and at a certain &ldquo;spent level&rdquo;, the saturated condition of the organoclay will be electronically detected by the embedded probe and alarm/control panel. The alarm indicates that the &ldquo;spent&rdquo; organophilic clay should be replaced with fresh clay or the spent clay regenerated.

Apparatus in fluid communication with a water leg portion of an offshore drilling or production platform sump tank for conveying the separated water into contact with an organophilic clay such that the hydrocarbons and other organic materials commingled with the sump tank water will be adsorbed onto the organophilic clay and the water will pass through the clay and will be conveyed back to the ocean water without contamination.

Growing community of inventors

New Orleans, LA, United States of America

Jeffrey J Smith