Integrated configuration for a steam assisted gravity drainage central processing facility

Abstract

A steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processing facility comprising: an oil/water separation process block operable for bulk separation of produced water from a produced fluid comprising produced water and hydrocarbons; a de-oiling process block operable to remove residual oil from the produced water separated from the produced fluid in the oil/water separation process block and provide a de-oiled water; a water treatment block operable to remove contaminants from the de-oiled water and provide a treated water; and a steam generation process block operable to produce steam from the treated water. In embodiments, each of the oil/water separation process block, the de-oiling process block, the water treatment process block, and the steam generation process block is modularized and comprises a plurality of modules. Methods for operating and assembling a SAGD processing facility are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for operating a steam assisted gravity drainage processing facility, the method comprising:
 effecting bulk separation of produced water from a produced fluid comprising the produced water and hydrocarbons;   removing residual oil from the produced water to provide a de-oiled water;   removing contaminants from the de-oiled water to provide a treated water; and   generating steam from the treated water,   wherein a temperature, a pressure, or both the temperature and the pressure of the produced water separated from the produced fluid via the bulk separation is not reduced prior to the removing residual oil from the produced water.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature, the pressure, or both the temperature and the pressure of the produced water separated from the produced fluid via the bulk separation is not reduced during the removing residual oil from the produced water. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the effecting bulk separation, the removing residual oil, the removing contaminants, and the generating steam is performed via a plurality of modules. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each plurality of modules comprises an electrical and instruments (E&I) room on at least one module thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of modules further comprises a central control room, wherein each of the plurality of modules on which an E&I room is located is in communication with the central control room. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 distributing electricity, not underground, from a main electrical supply to each of the plurality of modules on which the E&I rooms are located.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of modules further comprises an equipment module and a pipeway module. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pipeway module is located above the equipment module. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the pipeway module of the plurality of modules is fluidly connected to at least one of a plurality of pipes in a common pipeway. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of modules further comprises a drain system below a floor level of the plurality of modules and not underground. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing residual oil from the produced water is effected via compact flotation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein removing contaminants from the de-oiled water is effected via mechanical vapor recompression evaporation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating steam from the treated water is not effected via a once through steam generator (OTSG). 
     
     
         14 . A method for assembling a steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) processing facility, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of modules for each of a number of process blocks including:   an oil/water separation process block (a) operable for bulk separation of produced water from a produced fluid comprising the produced water and hydrocarbons, wherein the oil/water separation process block comprises an inlet for the produced fluid and an outlet for the produced water separated from the produced fluid;   a de-oiling process block (b) operable to remove residual oil from the produced water separated from the produced fluid in the oil/water separation process block by compact flotation and provide a de-oiled water, wherein the de-oiling process block comprises an inlet for the produced water from the oil/water separation process block and an outlet for de-oiled water;   a water treatment process block (c) operable to remove contaminants from the de-oiled water and provide a treated water, wherein the water treatment process block (c) comprises an inlet for the de-oiled water and an outlet for the treated water; and   a steam generation process block (d) operable to produce steam from the treated water, wherein the steam generation process block comprises an inlet for the treated water and an outlet for steam,   wherein the SAGD processing facility comprises no pressure reduction apparatus, no temperature reduction apparatus, or both no pressure reduction apparatus and no temperature reduction apparatus to reduce the pressure or the temperature, respectively, of the produced water separated from the produced fluid in the oil/water separation process block (a) prior to introduction of the separated produced water into the de-oiling process block (b).   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the SAGD processing facility comprises no pressure reduction apparatus, no temperature reduction apparatus, or both no pressure reduction apparatus and no temperature reduction apparatus to reduce the pressure or the temperature, respectively, of the produced water within the de-oiling process block (b). 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the de-oiling process block (b) comprises a compact flotation unit. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the water treatment process block (c) comprises a mechanical vapor recompression evaporation apparatus. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the steam generation process block (d) does not comprise a once through steam generator (OTSG). 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein each process block (a), (b), (c), and (d) includes an electrical and instrumentation (E&I) room on at least one of the plurality of modules for that process block; wherein the method further comprises:
 interconnecting the plurality of modules within process blocks (a), (b), (c), and (d);   connecting process blocks (a) and (b), (b) and (c), and (c) and (d); and   connecting each E&I room with a central control room and a main electrical supply.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein connecting each E&I room with the main electrical supply comprises above ground connecting.