Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Nanoengineered Organosilica Materials
for the Tre
atment of Produced Water
Paul L. Edmiston,
1,2
Stephen Jolly,
2
and Stephen Spoonamore
2
1
Department of Chemistry, The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, USA
2
ABS Material Inc., Wooster, Ohio, USA
CONTENTS
8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 145
8.2 Description of Swellable Organosilica Materials .......................................................... 146
8.2.1 Physical Characteristics ........................................................................................ 148
8.2.2 Removal of Dissolved Organics from Water ..................................................... 149
8.2.3 Effect of Process Conditions ................................................................................. 151
8.2.4 Variants of Osorb for Polar Water Contaminants ............................................. 153
8.3 Treatment of Produced Water .......................................................................................... 155
8.3.1 Bench-Scale Testing ............................................................................................... 155
8.3.2 Pilot-Scale Testing .................................................................................................. 158
8.4 Economics of Produced Water Treatment ...................................................................... 160
8.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 162
Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 162
References ..................................................................................................................................... 163
8.1 Introduction
“Produced water” is the water coextracted during the exploration and production of oil
and gas from underground reservoirs. In 2007, it is estimated that 800 billion gallons of
produced water was created from petroleum extraction activities worldwide.
1
A baseline
portion of produced water is native to the geological formations, but is sometimes com-
pounded by water used to stimulate the formation, which can increase the ratio of water
to oil much higher than 10:1. Near the end of life of some stimulated wells, the amount of
produced water can be as high as 98% of the total volume extracted.
2
On land, produced
water is typically sequestered by reinjection at great depths (i.e., below the water table).
Produced water generated in offshore petroleum extraction is typically treated using lota-
tion systems or hydrocyclones to remove dispersed oils and discharged into the ocean. In
the Gulf of Mexico, 91% of produced water is discharged into the sea.
3
There are a number
of environmental concerns with the practice of oceanic discharge stemming from the fact
that primary treatment methods do not remove certain amounts of dissolved hydrocar-
bons, organic chemicals, acids, salt, and metals.
4,5
In places where water cannot be reinjected into the formation, treatment methods are
required. Treatment of produced water is complicated by the number of soluble and insoluble
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