(114e) A New Concept for Simultaneous Reduction of Alkalinity, Oil and Undesirable Gases Such as CO2 and H2S

In a SAGD application, produced water is normally recovered and treated to alevel suitable as feed to a "wet stream generator" The produced water typically contains oil, alkalinity,SiO2 and hardness.

Zeolite softening or hot lime softening is used to reduce the hardness depending on the concentration of TDS and silica.Due to the high concentration of TDS and/or silica, lime softening is often utilized in a SAGD application.

However, it should be noted that for every part of alkalinity reduced, two parts of CaCO3 will be produced as sludge in a lime process. Furthermore, more sludge will be produced if CO2 exists in the produced water.

Acid may be added to the produced water upstream of the lime softening to convert the alkalinity to water and CO2 which would be stripped in a mew WEMCO flotation machine. This process will greatly reduce the consumption of lime and production of lime sludge.

This paper will present a "Patent Pending" flotation machine which will achieve several functions: Oil Removal, Alkalinity Reduction and Stripping Gases such as CO2 ans H2S.