Overview of oilfield produced water management

2. OUTLINE

3. Water coning
Petroleum
system
What is Produced Water?
Origin and Source
» Hydrocarbon bearing
formations.
» Migration from adjacent
formations.
» Enhanced Recovery
Applications.
Source:
SPE

4. Source: International journal of low carbon
Water and Oil production volumes in the U.S
since 2000
Importance of oilfield Produced Water
80 - 100 billion barrels per year Global WOR is 7:1
Source: USDE

5. Constituents of Produced
Water
» » CHEMICALLY COMPLEX
» » BRINE
» » HETEROGENEOUS
» » TOXIC
» » PRESENCE OF NORMS
» » PROCESS CHEMICALS

6. Produced Water Management
Practices1. Prevent water from reaching the
surface.
2. Minimizing water production.
3. Manage surface water.
1. Intelligent well completion (DOWS):
Oil is pumped to the surface.
Water is injected back into formation.
2. Mechanical blocking devices:
√ Duel completion √ Plugs √
Fig.2a. Source: Baker Hughes
Fig 2b. Source: Veil
et al
2
1

7. Source: Carson
energy
Produced Water management practices
Water or Steam flooding
Injection for enhanced oil
recovery
Surface Disposal
Evaporation ponds, Rivers,
Lakes etc.
Aquifer Storage and Recovery
(ARS)
Beneficial use
Agriculture, Industry,
3

8. Source:
ABB
Offshore operations
Surface Treatment and
discharge.
Separation at the sea floor
and discharge into oceans.
Common Produced Water management practices
Subsea Treatment
System

9. FINAL THOUGHTS
The choice of produced water management method is site-specific.
Large volumes of water is produced during oil and gas extraction.
Current produced water management technologies are not
sustainable.
Produced water can be a valuable resource in water stressed
regions.
RECOMMENDATIONS
More research is needed in the area of desalination and oilfield
water treatment technologies to improve treatment of oilfield

10. • REFERENCES
• CLARK, C.E., AND J.A. VEIL, 2009, PRODUCED WATER VOLUMES AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES, ANL/EVS/R-
09/1, PREPARED FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY, SEPTEMBER, 64 PP.
• FISHER, J.B. AND SUBLETTE, K.L. 2005. ENVIRONMENTAL RELEASES FROM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OPERATIONS IN
OKLAHOMA: TYPE, VOLUME, CAUSES AND PREVENTION.
• HTTPS://LIBRARY.E.ABB.COM/PUBLIC/E1495746DD534CCF836BDFF0C54CD609/3AJE000124-
0180_02%20EN%20SUBSEA%20SOLUTIONS.PDF
• HTTP://WWW.CARSONENERGY.COM/ENHANCED-OIL-RECOVERY-METHODS-EXPLAINED/
• KNUDSEN B.L., HJELSVOLD M., FROST T.K., SVARSTAD M.B.E., GRINI P.G., WILLUMSEN C.F., AND TORVIK H.: “MEETING THE ZERO-
DISCHARGE CHALLENGE FOR PRODUCED WATER,” PAPER SPE 86671 PRESENTED AT THE 2004 SPE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT IN OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION, CALGARY.
• LEE R., SERIGHT R., HIGHTOWER M., SATTLER A., CATHER M., MCPHERSON B., WROTENBERY L., MARTIN D., AND WHITWORTH M.:
“STRATEGIES FOR PRODUCED WATER HANDLING IN NEW MEXICO,” PAPER PRESENTED AT THE 2002 GROUND WATER PROTECTION
COUNCIL
REYNOLDS RODNEY R.: “PRODUCED WATER AND ASSOCIATED ISSUES,” A MANUAL FOR INDEPENDENT OPERATOR, PETROLEUM
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER COUNCIL (2003).
• SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, HTTP://PETROWIKI.ORG/WATER_AND_GAS_CONING
• U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, WATER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV/EDU/QA-HOME-PERCAPITA.HTML.
ACCESSED ON 01/21/2016.
• US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (2013)
PRODUCED WATER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM: INTRODUCTION TO PRODUCED WATER
• VEIL, J. A., ET AL, SEPT. 2009, “PRODUCED WATER VOLUMES AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE UNITED STATES”. AVAILABLE AT
HTTP://WWW.OSTI.GOV/BRIDGE. ACCESSED ON FEB. 03, 2016