GLR Solutions Ltd In Association with

The Petroleum Technology Alliance

Canada Presents :

How a Micro-bubble Flotation

System Can Enhance Oil
Separation and Recovery from
Produced Water while Reducing
Chemical and Filter Usage
 Table of Contents

1. Introductions
2. Company Background
3. Common Separation Technologies
1. API/Gravity Separators
2. Corrugated Plate Interceptors
3. Induced Gas Floatation (IGF)
4. Induced Static Floatation (ISF)
5. Hydrocyclone
6. Centrifuge
4. Gas Liquid Reactor/Micro-bubble Floatation
5. Conclusion/Questions

2
 GLR Personnel

Douglas Lee, President & CEO

Martyn Lutz, Vice President, Sales &

Marketing

3
 GLR Company Background

Calgary Based Corporate Office and Manufacturing

GLRs Products are Manufactured, Sold and Serviced

in Alberta by GLR

Customers Include Producers and Oil Field Services

Companies
Producers: Husky Energy, Encana
Service Companies: Schlumberger, BJ Services

4
 API/Gravity Separators

Usually a tank or series of tanks where oil collects on the

waters surface and can be skimmed off

Built according to the API 421 code, based on Stokes Law

Performance of these vessels varies greatly depending on

parameters such as:

Retention time, tank internals, oil properties, physical conditions,

and inlet stream characteristics

To alter the oil properties and improve performance chemicals are

often used

5
 API/Gravity Separators

Pros
Simple Design, No moving
parts, Relatively Inexpensive,
Retrofit Capability, Added Surge
Capacity, some solids removal
Cons
Ineffective with small oil
droplets or emulsified oil,
Require long retention time to
achieve efficient separation
Costs
Capital Costs: $30,000-
$150,000 +

Operating Costs: Occasional

shutdowns for Cleaning

6
 Corrugated Plate Interceptor (CPI)
Corrugated plates are used to enhance the performance of gravity
separation tanks

They amplify the difference in densities by providing longer path

for the fluid to travel

The plates minimize the distance an

oil droplet needs to travel to find
another oil droplet

As the oil droplets collect they

coalesce with other droplets and the
larger droplets rise more rapidly to
the waters surface

7
 Corrugated Plate Interceptor (CPI)

Pros
Reduces size of API/Gravity Separators, Relatively simple design and
operation, No moving parts

Cons
Limited to removal of oil of 50 microns droplets and larger, Higher removal
efficiencies require abundant chemical usage

Copes poorly with surges in flow or heavy oils

High inlet solids loads can form blockages

Costs
Capital Costs: $50,000-$180,000 +

Operating Costs: occasional shutdowns for cleaning of tank and media

8
 Induced Gas Flotation (IGF)
Gas is induced into the oil/water
mixture using eductors, sparging
IGF bubbles are typically in
tubes, or paddles the range of 200 microns in
diameter
Gas is used to more rapidly float the
oil out of the water

Bubbles are created through

Mechanical Means

System performance is also

dependant upon the size of the
bubbles produced by the particular
technology used

Various flow patterns are used inside

IGF vessels to aid the separation
process
9
 Induced Gas Flotation (IGF)

Pros
High oil removal efficiency
Can handle 50% change of production rate with little change in
outlet ppm
Large range of inlet concentrations

Cons
Unable to remove oil droplets below 25 microns
Requires a gas supply
Extensive chemical treatments required to remove smaller droplets
No retrofit capability

Costs
Capital Costs: $60,000-$1,000,000 +
Operating Costs: At least one pump, but it depends on the system
each can have various rotors which need motors, or simply one
recirculation pump
10
 Induced Static Flotation (ISF)
Gas is induced into a recycled water stream and then into the produced
water at the bottom of the vessel

Bubbles are created through Hydraulic Methods

The vessel is typically divided in to several cells and in each cell the
gasified water is introduced

ISF Vessels often have the capability to run in a pressurized state

Gas bubbles adhere to oil droplets and help float them to the top of the
water

The difference between an ISF and an IGF is method of bubble

generation, bubble size & ability for pressurized operation

11
 Induced Static Flotation (ISF)

Pros
Able to remove oil particles to 5
microns
High removal efficiency
Low skim volume

Cons
Requires a gas supply
Not well suited for oil concentrations
above 300 ppm
Copes poorly with fluctuations in
flow rate
No retrofit capability

Costs
Capital Cost: $250,000
$1,000,000 +
Operating Costs: one recirculation
pump

12
 Hydrocyclones
Conical tubes with the fluid stream feed tangentially
into the top of the cone so it swirls around the cone

The spinning motion of the fluid is accelerated by the

tapered shape of the cone

Spinning creates a centrifugal force which pushes the

heavier water out and the lighter oil into the middle of
the cone

The oil is forced out the larger end and the water
continues down the cone and leaves out the tapered
end

The smaller the cone radius the smaller the target

outlet oil concentration in water
13
 Hydrocyclones
Pros
High rate of separation
Insensitive to motion good for ocean platforms
No moving parts
Small footprint
Easily accessible for maintenance
Can deal with high oil concentrations
Cons
Large pressure drop across these devices
Performance dependant upon turn down ratio
Separate system required to remove solids
Susceptible to wear resulting in maintenance costs
Susceptible to fouling or blockages from solid buildup
Control intensive to cope with fluctuations in flow rate
Costs
Capital Costs: $75,000-$450,000 +
Operating Costs: Pump to provide necessary pressure and maintenance
costs for regular installation of replacement liners
14
 Centrifuge
Operate under the same physical principles as
hydrocyclones. Spinning causes the two phases
of the fluid to separate from each other

Centrifuges use moving parts to spin the liquid to

create the spinning motion

Centrifuges are used for removing oil from water

but more commonly removing water from oil

Centrifuges are also quite effective in the

removal of solids from oil or water.
15
 Centrifuge

Pros
High removal rate
Removes solid particles as small
as 2 micron

Cons
Low flow rates
Susceptible to wear resulting in
maintenance costs

Costs
Capital Cost: $150,000
$800,000 +
Operating Cost: motor to spin
the fluid

16
GLR Microbubble Floatation System (MBF)

The MBF takes a stream of produced water from

the outlet of a separation tank and gas is
introduced through an eductor or a pressurized
gas stream

Microbubbles occur as this water entrained with

gas is passed through the patented Gas Liquid
Reactor (GLR) where it experiences shear,
impact and pressure resulting in bubbles 5-50
m in diameter

17
GLR Microbubble Floatation System (MBF)

This stream is then introduced at the inlet into a separation

tank where the bubbles adhere to the oil and carry it to the
waters surface

On the surface a frothy layer of oil and gas is formed that

is then skimmed off

Smaller bubbles more effectively separate the oil from the

water which results in a drier froth and a very low skim
volume

The water leaving the skim tank can have as little as 5

ppm oil. This outlet concentration typically correlates to a
separation efficiency of 95% +.

18
MBF Process Flow

19
 Typical MBF Skid
4 3 2 1
P-1 E-1
Circulation pump Compressed gas supply GLR Vessel
600 usgpm 6.0 SCFM Median Capacity: 1.73m^3
480V, 3P, 60 Hz, 1800 rpm 1.00 NPT Gas Connection Design Pressure: 1000 kPa
70 psi 75 psi Supply Pressure Size: 813mm Dia. X 3556mm H.
Eagle Horizontal ANSI, 6X4, 60 HP
D D

PI

FM
To relief tank
C Gas C
PI Sample
PI pt.

C
To skim tank
4
E-1
F
M

B B B
Water from skim tank
1
P-1

GLR skid

Package limits
XYZ Corp - Generic Location

A A
GLR Skid Process and Instrumentation Diagram
20
SIZE Project # DWG NO REV
Drawn by: N.S.
Tab. 03-269 03-269-01 A
Approved by: DWL SCALE Not to scale SHEET 1 OF 1

4 3 2 1
Patented Gas Liquid Reactor

21
Microbubbles Saturate Tank

22
Microbubbles vs. Gravity Separation

23
MBF150 System Accommodating Other Equipment

24
MBF600 Skid With Cladding

25
GLR Microbubble Floatation System (MBF)

Pros
Retro fit to existing skim tank
Removal of oil down to 3
microns
Handles a large range of oil
concentrations and densities
Excellent Capacity for Upsets
Very low skim volumes
Good solids removal

Cons
Requires a gas supply
Sometimes requires
modifications to skim tank

Costs
Capital Costs: $60,000-
$600,000
Operating Costs: pump to
provide flow through GLR

26
Close UP: Micro-bubbles Adhere To Oil Droplets And Float
To The Surface Where They Coalesce

27
 Performance
Maximum Removal Efficiencies
(>90% = High Efficiency)

100
% oil removed

98
96
94
92
90
88
86

es

F
F

F
ty

B
IG

IS

on
vi

-M
ra

cl

LR
G

cy

G
ro
yd
H

28
 Performance
Droplet Size Removal
(<10um High Efficiency)
Particle Size (um)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
y

BF
F
I

s
CP
vit

ne
IG

IS

-M
ra

lo
G

LR
yc
oc

G
dr
Hy

29
 Performance
Inlet Oil Concentration Range
ty I F F s F
vi P IG IS e B (>2000 = High Capacity)
on -M
cl R
cy GL
ro
yd

C
H

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000

ra
G

Inlet Oil ppm

30
 Performance
Average Cost Comparison

$900,000.00

$600,000.00

$300,000.00

$0.00
y

BF
F
I

s
CP
vit

ne
IG

IS

-M
ra

lo
G

LR
yc
oc

G
dr
Hy

31
 Conventional Oil Benefits

Increase Revenues due to additional oil

recovery
Reduce the need for remedial treatment of
the well.
Allow for easier injection in tight formations
Reduced erosion damage to injection pumps,
Reduce the need for filters and chemicals
Leveling off of the outlet oil even in upsets

32
 SAGD Benefits

Increase in oil recovered/increased revenue

Reduced need for chemicals to enhance
separation
Increased ability to deal with upset conditions
Reduce the likelihood of contamination of the
water treatment facility and the need for
remedial treatment
Increase in water recycle rate

33
MBF Skid With Enclosure

34
 Questions?
Contact us:
Martyn Lutz Douglas Lee
Vice President, Sales & Marketing President & CEO
Phone: (403) 219-1270 Phone: (403) 219-1257
Fax: (403) 219-2211 Fax: (403) 219-2211
Email: mlutz@glrsolutions.com Email: doug@glrsolutions.com
Micro-bubbles Entrained In Flow of Bitumen

36
Micro-bubbles Adhere and Float Bitumen

37
Micro-bubbles Adhere To Oil Droplets And Float To The
Surface Where They Coalesce

38