Patent ID: 8734650
Filing Date: 2014-05-27
Classification: B03D,C02F,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A method of removing gas from a gas producing subterranean formation and removing contaminants from resulting produced water, comprising: providing a mixture of gas and water gathered from the gas producing subterranean formation; separating the gas from the mixture to produce a gas product and the produced water which contains contaminants including organics, suspended solids, and dissolved solids including silica; removing suspended solids from the produced water; after removing at least some suspended solids from the produced water, directing the produced water to a macro porous polymer extraction (MPPE) unit; treating the produced water in the MPPE unit by removing aromatic organic compounds from the produced water including directing the produced water over polymer beads having an extraction fluid disposed therein and causing aromatic organic compounds in the produced water to pass through the polymer beads where the aromatic organic compounds are dissolved in the extraction fluid in the beads; after treating the produced water in the MPPE unit, directing the produced water to a membrane bioreactor (MBR); treating the produced water in the MBR to remove additional organics; mixing a silica precipitation inhibiting agent with the produced water; after the silica precipitation inhibiting agent has been mixed with the produced water, directing the produced water to at least one reverse osmosis (RO) unit and producing a high dissolved solids containing reject stream and a low dissolved solids permeate stream; and sufficiently removing contaminants from the produced water such that the permeate stream is suitable for: