Multifunctional water treatment system for oil and gas-produced water

Abstract

At present, the produced water in the state of Kansas is mostly disposed in designated wells as defined by the state commission to reduce environmental issues and reduce groundwater contamination. However, disposal of produced water into wells has long been reported to cause pollution of aquifers and water tables. In this research, we developed a water treatment system for produced water which focuses on integrating state-of-the-art model and sustainable technologies—named the sedimentation-media, adsorption, ceramic (S-MAC) system. The research goal is to pursue an innovative solution to existing practices by processing and reusing produced water for irrigation and generating new sources of revenue from 15.7 million acres of abandoned Kansas property owned by oil and gas corporations. Produced water samples from Lario Oil and Gas Company (Kansas Mid-Continent Region) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to identify the produced water elements. Results show up to 80% water recovery and 95–99% oil removal, and that the standard water parameters of pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, hardness, and dissolved oxygen (DO) are within the limits of palatable water requirements for Kansas. The total dissolved solids, turbidity, and pH of the treated water are within the range of 1300–1400 ppm, 10–15 NTU, and 6.5–7.0, respectively, which are acceptable water parameters for crop cultivation in farmlands. Calcium and magnesium ions which are responsible for water hardness were significantly reduced to an acceptable level at 76,351 ppb and 87,362 ppb, respectively.