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A Practical Approach to Shallow Petroleum Hydrocarbon Recovery
Author(s) -
Hayes Douglas,
Henry Evan C.,
Testa Stephen M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
groundwater monitoring and remediation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1745-6592
pISSN - 1069-3629
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6592.1989.tb01129.x
Subject(s) - petroleum engineering , artificial lift , dewatering , centrifugal pump , suction , environmental science , geology , engineering , geotechnical engineering , mechanical engineering , impeller
A practical pumping system for the recovery of free petroleum hydrocarbon product from shallow aquifers has been developed. The system is patterned after suction‐lift well point dewatering systems used in the construction industry. Pumping equipment consists of double‐diaphragm suction‐lift pumps manifolded to up to four recovery wells. Recovery wells are constructed with screens below the water table and sealed wellheads to enable vacuum‐assisted flow of fluids to the wells. Pumps utilized are pneumatically driven, can be pumped dry without damage, induce a vacuum on the wells when pumping dry, and provide delivery of pumped fluids to fluid separation and storage facilities. The system is effective in both low‐ and high‐permeability formations due to the wide range in available pumping rates afforded by the pumps.