The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 13, 2009
Filed:
May. 19, 2005
Charles Arles Christopher, Houston, TX (US);
Ian Ralph Collins, Middlesex, GB;
Harry Frampton, West Yorkshire, GB;
Folkert Paul Visser, Ulsan, KR;
Charles Arles Christopher, Houston, TX (US);
Ian Ralph Collins, Middlesex, GB;
Harry Frampton, West Yorkshire, GB;
Folkert Paul Visser, Ulsan, KR;
BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, Middlesex, GB;
BP Corporation North America Inc., Warrenville, IL (US);
Abstract
A method of recovering hydrocarbons from a porous subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation comprising the steps of: a) feeding to at least on reverse osmosis unit of a desalination assembly a high salinity water feed stream having a total dissolved solids content (total salinity) of at least 10,000 ppm; b) driving a portion of the high salinity water feed stream across a membrane in the reverse osmosis unit of the desalination assembly at a pressure above the osmotic pressure of the high salinity water feed stream while excluding at least a portion of the dissolved solids from crossing said membrane to produce a treated low salinity water product stream having a total salinity of less than 5,000 ppm and a concentrated waste brine stream wherein the hydrostatic head exerted by the high salinity water feed stream on the feed side of the membrane provides at least a major component of the pressure required to overcome the osmotic pressure; c) injecting the low salinity water product stream into the hydrocarbon-bearing formation from an injection well; d) displacing the hydrocarbons with the low salinity water product stream toward an associated production well; and e) recovering hydrocarbons from the formation via the production well.