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:
Jun. 01, 2010
Filed:
Jun. 15, 2006
Ian Ralph Collins, Sunbury-on-Thames, GB;
Kang LI, Cheam, GB;
Andrew Guy Livingston, Knebworth, GB;
John Dale Williams, Buckinghamshire, GB;
Ian Ralph Collins, Sunbury-on-Thames, GB;
Kang Li, Cheam, GB;
Andrew Guy Livingston, Knebworth, GB;
John Dale Williams, Buckinghamshire, GB;
BP Exploration Operating Company Limited, Middlesex, GB;
Abstract
A method of recovering hydrocarbons from a porous subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation by: (a) reducing the salinity of a saline source water by reverse osmosis using a membrane having a first surface and a second surface by (i) feeding the saline source water to the first surface of the membrane, and (ii) removing treated water of reduced salinity from the second surface of the membrane; and (b) injecting the treated water into the formation; wherein the membrane is selectively permeable to water over dissolved solids such that when (i) the saline source water has a total dissolved solids content of at least 17,500 ppm, and (ii) the applied pressure across the membrane is greater than the osmotic pressure across the membrane and lies within the range 45 to 90 bar (4.5 to 9.0 M Pa), the total dissolved solids content of the treated water is in the range 500 to 5000 ppm.