Produced water treatment systems

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Produced water associated with oil and natural gas production is increasing year by year, and treatment and disposal become major issues. However, produced water can be a valuable water resource only if it can be treated and processed to high-quality water economically. Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) developed a technology named “ceramic membrane-based produced water treatment (CMPWT)” to remove the oil content and suspended solids from produced water in collaboration with INPEX Corp., CHIYODA Corp. and METAWATER Co., Ltd.. during FY2015–FY2017. In FY2017, a demonstration test was conducted for 7 months at a demonstration plant equipped with commercial-size ceramic membranes (Figure 1, Figure 2) in a domestic oil field in Akita prefecture, Japan; the test proved that this technology was effective in removing the oil content and suspended solids in produced water by only one step treatment (conventional technology requires multistep treatments)　(Figure 3). Following the demonstration test, JOGMEC and INPEX Corp. conducted a semi-commercial operation from FY2018 to FY2022 and gathered long-term filtration operational data to optimize the operation. This collaboration resulted in a cumulative operation time of 23,123 h. During this period, the ceramic membranes exhibited no damage and no degradation.

The CMPWT technology can be applied for the treatment of various waters in different oil fields, and JOGMEC is studying to utilize this technology for treating wastewater from a pigging operation for oil pipelines. Based on the results of sample tests conducted using a portable testing device, JOGMEC has a demonstration-scale field test scheduled in FY2024. If this technology can be applied to treat pigging wastewater, it can reduce the environmental impact of wastewater and increase the asset value of the oil field (by reducing the associated costs and shortening the suspension period of crude-oil production).

Figure 1: Photo of the demonstration plant in Akita
(three series of CMPWT units equipped with two commercial-size ceramic membranes)
Figure 2: Commercial-size ceramic membrane
(diameter = 180mm, length = 1,500mm)

Figure 3: Produced water from an oil field
(from the demonstration test in 2017)
Filtrate
(from the demonstration test in 2017)

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Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security
(JCN 4010405009573)

Toranomon Twin Building 2-10-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, JAPAN
Tel : +81-3-6758-8000