System and method for separation of crude or hydrocarbon free and/or disperse in water

摘要

The present invention relates to a system and a method for separating a hydrocarbon containing material such as crude oil from water. The system of the present invention includes a treatment tank, a layer of a fluid having a chemical affinity for the hydrocarbon contain material being separated within the tank for separating the hydrocarbon containing material from said water without any mixing and with a minimum level of turbulence, and a distribution system for introducing the water with the hydrocarbon containing material into the layer of chemical affinity fluid. The method of the present invention broadly comprises the steps of providing a treatment tank having a layer of a fluid having a chemical affinity for the hydrocarbon containing material and separating the hydrocarbon containing material from the water without any mixing and with a minimum of turbulence by introducing the water with the hydrocarbon containing material into the layer of chemical affinity fluid.