An Efficient and Economically Viable Cleaning System for Produced Sand in Heavy Oil Recovery for Municipal Projects

Abstract

Cold Heavy Oil Production with Sand (CHOPS) produces large amounts of sand, which is stockpiled before being disposed of into salt caverns. This disposal process is inefficient and is an economic burden on the company. The objective of this project is to design a system to process the sand so that it may be sold for profit. An industrial-level processing unit has been designed, based on the optimal concentration and the amount and type of solvent used to treat the sand.