METHOD FOR PRODUCING AND USING STEAM AT OIL-, GAS-, OR GAS/OIL PROCESSING PLANTS Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: thermal engineering; oil, gas, and chemical industries. SUBSTANCE: method involves combustion of gaseous fuel and production of steam by at least one steam generator, at least some portion of this gas being used for at least part of extraction, and/or processing, and/or conveying raw material produced at plant as well as feeding steam generator with chemically treated water introduced in circulating loop. Novelty is that at least part of gaseous fuel is casing- head gas contained in raw material and/or process fuel gas emitted in the course of heat treatment of raw material and/or as result of destructive thermal processes occurring during processing raw materials; gas is usually supplied at temperature of 50-70 C and pressure of 3.0-5.0 kg/sq. cm; prior to combustion it is heated to at least 100 C and chemically demineralized water is additionally introduced into circulating loop together with cooled-down return condensate and heated by residual heat energy released by return condensate in the course of its polishing. Provision is made for saving chemically demineralized boiler feedwater and for obviating the need for specifying quality of chemically demineralized water and condensate with respect to silicon content which makes it possible to dispense with demineralizing units using hydrogen- cation and anion exchangers and to replace them by sodium-cation exchangers with 100% condensate returned to steam generator and, hence, to do without chemically active agents such as sulfuric acid and alkali by replacing them with common salt; steam generated in the process enables 50% reduction in cost of oil products due to its low prime cost compared with purchased steam. EFFECT: improved economic efficiency due to reduced labor consumption and material input, improved environmental friendliness of process, reduced cost of end product. 14 cl, 1 tbl