Moving Towards Innovative Waste Water Treatment and Disposal Technologies: Field Study for In Situ Waste Water Treatment and Evaporation Technology

Abstract

Abstract Produced waste water in oil and gas fields is a chronic headache from operational and HSE points of views. Many companies spend a lot of efforts and money to seek for the best produced water treatment and disposal. Whatever the technology applied; the main scope is to treat water and dispose it respecting the specifications imposed by the environmental affairs agency. However; this isn't the end of the story where the water disposal itself into water bodies or disposal wells can trigger in serious problems if water hasn't been treated well. Other companies -due to limitation of their existing waste water treatment plant capacities-are forced to trucking solution to transfer untreated water to other waste water plants operated by service companies. In situ water treatment and evaporation of waste water is an innovative solution that allows to get rid of produced waste water in a safe and economical matter. The paper introduces a field study carried out in gas processing plant "El Gamil plant" located at Portsaid city on the Northern east coast of Egypt. The waste water production of the producing gas fields increased from 500 m3/d to about 3,000 m3/d. The existing waste water treatment plant capacity was limited to 500 m3/d, the matter that implies to seek for further solutions to avoid trucking option. In situ water treatment and evaporation was selected to apply in a pilot project with capacity of 500 m3/d to expand it in case of successful implementation. The results show that technology is reliable but in certain applications and sites. In particular; if the oil content of the waste water is in the form of free phase where the water treatment will be based on physical separation in settling tanks and oily water separator to remove the oil phase and dispose water in to atmosphere using atomizers. The paper will study with the parameters that can affect the success of this process highlighting the appropriate conditions for its applications.