Patent ID: 8012358
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: C02F,E21B

Abstract:
1. A method of water treatment for sufficiently treating produced water containing particulate and borate so that the treated water may be utilized in well-treatment operations, the method comprising the steps of: bringing a mobile water treatment system to a source of the produced water; using the mobile water treatment system to treat the produced water to obtain treated water; and using the treated water in a well-treatment operation, wherein the treated water is not suitable for use as freshwater or potable water; wherein the mobile water treatment system comprises: (a) a mobile platform; (b) an input pump, wherein the input pump is mounted on the mobile platform and operatively connected to be capable of pumping a treatment stream from the source of the produced water through the system; (c) a centrifugal separator, wherein the centrifugal separator is mounted on the mobile platform and operatively connected downstream of the input pump to centrifugally treat the treatment stream, wherein the centrifugal separator is capable of removing at least some of a particulate in the treatment stream; and (d) a borate filter, wherein the borate filter is mounted on the mobile platform and operatively connected downstream of the centrifugal separator to filter the treatment stream, and wherein the borate filter is capable of removing at least some of a borate in the treatment stream when the treatment stream is at a pH of 8 or above; (e) a chemical-additive subsystem, wherein the subsystem is mounted on the mobile platform, and wherein the subsystem is operatively connected to be capable of: wherein the step of using the mobile water treatment system to treat the produced water to obtain treated water comprises: (a) pumping said water as part of a treatment stream; (b) centrifugally removing at least some of the particulate present in the treatment stream; (c) filtering out at least some of the borate in the treatment stream with a filter media capable of removing a borate from the treatment stream at a pH of 8 or above, wherein at least during the step of filtering of borate, the pH of the treatment stream is or is adjusted to be 8 or above; (d) chemically treating the treatment stream, to precipitate sulfate, calcium, magnesium, or iron ions wherein the step of chemically treating comprises at least one of the following steps: