Patent ID: 8449656

Claim:
A once-through process for reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen in seawater comprising (a) heating seawater to a temperature in the range from about 30° C. to 60° C.; (b) in a mixer maintained at a pressure above atmospheric pressure, mixing the heated seawater with a stripping gas to form a mixture, wherein the content of stripping gas dissolved in the heated seawater is at a concentration close to the equilibrium value at the temperature of the mixer; (c) feeding the mixture of heated seawater and stripping gas from the mixer to a separator operated at a pressure below that of the corresponding mixer, to provide a gas stream and a liquid stream comprising seawater of reduced dissolved oxygen content, wherein the temperature of the seawater and the flow rates of the seawater and stripping gas are selected to reduce the dissolved oxygen content in the seawater to a preselected value.