Method and apparatus for recovery of hydrocarbons from underground water tables

Patent · Tue Jul 09 04:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5960834

McLaughlin, W C; Francescon, P K; Modesitt, Ph C; Recker, W J

Methods and apparatus for the recovery of petroleum origin hydrocarbons from ground water tables at sites of refineries, oil and gasoline storage and distributing facilities, and the like. Pursuant to the invention, separate liquid handling devices, each in the nature of a vessel or canister and having liquid trapping and ejecting facilities, are employed in a well or wells at the site for separately raising the ground water and liquid hydrocarbons that accumulate on the ground water table, respectively, through which the well or wells extend, under the static pressure of compressed air and free of mechanical pumping action on the liquids. The indicated devices are suspended in the same or adjacent wells that are located at the site, with the ground water handling device being connected to a source of compressed air and piping for carrying away the water to form a cone of depression, and the hydrocarbon handling device being connected to the source of compressed air and a recovery line for separately surfacing and conveying the hydrocarbons flowing into the cone of depression to a point of collection and recovery.

• Assignee: Pump Engineer Associates Inc.
• Patent Number(s): US 4527633
• OSTI ID: 5960834
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
020800 -- Petroleum-- Waste Management
AIR
COMPRESSED AIR
COMPRESSED GASES
DESIGN
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EQUIPMENT
FIELD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
GASES
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MECHANICS
OIL SATURATION
OIL SPILLS
OIL WELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PNEUMATICS
PUMPING
RECOVERY
SATURATION
STORAGE FACILITIES
WATER
WATER TABLES
WATER TREATMENT
WELL RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
WELLS