Produced water is a type of water that is brought to the surface as a byproduct of oil and gas production. It can contain a variety of different chemicals and pollutants, which makes it a complex and challenging waste stream to manage. Here are six things your company should know about produced water if you work in the oil and gas industry.
1. Produced water volume is increasing
As oil and gas production has increased in recent years, so too has the volume of produced water. In the United States, it is estimated that nearly 20 billion barrels (bbls) of produced water are generated each day. That’s enough to fill more than 2,700 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
2. Treatment and disposal costs are rising
Due to the increasing volume of produced water and stricter environmental regulations, the cost of treating and disposing of produced water is also on the rise. In fact, the cost of managing produced water can sometimes be higher than the cost of drilling for oil and gas!
3. Produced water contains pollutants
Produced water can contain a variety of pollutants, including metals, salts, hydrocarbons, and radioactivity. These pollutants can be harmful to human health and the environment if not properly managed. It’s incumbent on oil and gas companies to do their part in protecting drill sites, and modern technology is making it easier to do that.
Oil and gas companies use a variety of technologies to manage produced water. One such technology is reverse osmosis, which is used to remove dissolved solids from water. This can be beneficial in areas where produced water is discharged into surface waters, as it helps to prevent pollution.
Another common technology is evaporation, which is used to concentrate dissolved solids in the water so that they can be more easily removed. This can be done either by using natural evaporation ponds or by artificially heating the water. In either case, the goal is to reduce the volume of produced water that needs to be disposed of.
4. Produced water must be treated before it can be reused or discharged
Treatment options for produced water vary depending on the type and concentration of pollutants present. However, common treatment methods include the aforementioned reverse osmosis, evaporation, and ion exchange.
Ion exchange is a water treatment process that removes unwanted minerals from water. The process works by exchanging the ions in the produced water with ions from a treated water source. This exchange removes the unwanted minerals from the produced water, leaving it clean and safe to use.
Once treated, produced water can be reused for irrigation or other purposes, or discharged into surface waters.
5. Produced water management is regulated by state and federal laws
In the United States, produced water management is regulated by state and federal laws. These laws establish requirements for how produced water must be handled to protect human health and the environment.
6. Proper management of produced water is essential
Proper management of produced water is essential to protecting human health and the environment. When done right, it can also save your company money in treatment and disposal costs. But it’s not always easy to get it right. Your technology and processes have to be on point. That’s why working with an experienced partner like AOF Industries is so important.
Managing Produced Water Is Good Stewardship
Produced water is not something that you’ll want to take lightly as an oil and gas company. It can lead to harmful outcomes for humanity and your bottom line. And more eyes than ever before are looking at the way we treat the environment in producing the world’s energy, and proper management of produced water is essential to protecting human health and the environment.
AOF Industries has, for 10 years and counting, helped companies in a variety of industries become more comfortable with the automation possibilities of the technologies they are using on a daily basis. Our efforts and expertise to help companies become good stewards and more successful in what they do can help your efforts as well! If you are wondering how you could be doing more with less, then we’re ready to show you the way. Contact AOF Industries today and start your journey today.
