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Regional Assessment of Produced Water Treatment and Disposal Practices and Research Needs

1995; Linguagem: Inglês

10.2523/29729-ms

Alonzo Lawrence, Jeffrey J. Miller, Daniel Miller, Thomas D. Hayes,

Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics

Regional Assessment of Produced Water Treatment and Disposal Practices and Research Needs Alonzo Wm. Lawrence; Alonzo Wm. Lawrence Remediation Technologies, Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Jeffrey A. Miller; Jeffrey A. Miller Remediation Technologies, Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Daniel L. Miller; Daniel L. Miller Remediation Technologies, Inc. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Thomas D. Hayes Thomas D. Hayes Gas Research Institute Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE/EPA Exploration and Production Environmental Conference, Houston, Texas, March 1995. Paper Number: SPE-29729-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/29729-MS Published: March 27 1995 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Lawrence, Alonzo Wm., Miller, Jeffrey A., Miller, Daniel L., and Thomas D. Hayes. "Regional Assessment of Produced Water Treatment and Disposal Practices and Research Needs." Paper presented at the SPE/EPA Exploration and Production Environmental Conference, Houston, Texas, March 1995. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/29729-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE Health, Safety, Security, Environment, Search Advanced Search AbstractProduced water accounts for greater than 80 percent by volume of the residual material generated in the natural gas industry. Cost-effective and environmentally acceptable disposal of these waters is critical to the continued economic production of natural gas. The Gas Research Institute (GRI) has recently completed a comprehensive assessment of the demographics of produced water characterized according to volumes and geographic location of the gas producing geologic provinces of the United States. This information in association with both the federal and state environmental regulations has been used to identify potential cost-effective produced water treatment research opportunities which are described in this paper.The study involved the use of a computer-based engineering- economic model, Produced Water Management Options Model (PWMOM), which combines engineering process models with a cost performance data base to predict the economics of a spectrum of unit water treatment processes and treatment trains. Various produced water scenarios, i.e., volumes, qualities and regulatory requirements, were evaluated and categorized to focus on the natural gas producing regions of the U.S. where produced waters could be surface discharged under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Residual brines from produced water treatment would continue to be injected. Unit process technologies evaluated include deoiling (removal of free oil & grease), iron removal, dissolved organic removal (soluble organic treatment) and partial demineralization. Federal and state regulations were reviewed to identify where surface discharge could be or has been practiced to determine where cost-effective treatment could increase the opportunity for non-injection disposal alternatives.To complete this analysis, surface treatment costs were generated with PWMOM and compared to deep well injection costs. Costs for deep well injection were generated using Salt water Injection Model (SWIM), a model developed by GRI earlier in this research project. Promising technologies that have been identified include aerobic biological oxidation using fluidized beds, partial demineralization using electrodialysis and reverse osmosis, and a natural freeze-thaw evaporation process for cold climates. Laboratory and pilot studies that have been initiated to evaluate these processes are described here. Additional surface water discharge opportunities may exist where beneficial use such as irrigation or watering livestock is possible and where treatment will ensure that the release to surface waters will not violate water quality standards.IntroductionThe production of conventional natural gas and coal bed methane both result in the release of substantial volumes of water from the hydrocarbon bearing formation which is subsequently co-produced with the gas. This produced water is separated from the gas at or near the wellhead and must be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner. These waters are usually highly mineralized (containing total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations in the range of 3,000 to greater than 100,000 mg/L for coal bed methane and conventional non-associated gas, respectively). More than 60% by volume of produced water is presently injected into specially designated injection horizons which are deemed to be geologically isolated from potential underground sources of drinking water (USDW). The percentage of produced water which is injected rises to greater than 90% if produced waters from oil, and oil and gas operations are also considered.P. 373 Keywords: partial demineralization, produced water discharge, natural gas, treatment system, disposal practice, artificial intelligence, demineralization, organic removal, coalbed methane, spe 029729 Subjects: Environment, Water use, produced water discharge and disposal This content is only available via PDF. 1995. Society of Petroleum Engineers You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.