OIL FIELD WASTE MINIMIZATION

THE WATER PRODUCED IN OIL FIELD DRILLING AND PRODUCTION OPERATIONS IS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH PARTICULATES, OIL EMULSIONS, DISSOLVED VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCS), AND METAL IONS. USING CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO TREAT THESE WASTEWATERS COST-EFFICIENTLY AT THE ISOLATED LOCATIONS WHERE MANY OF THESE OPERATIONS TAKE PLACE. AS A RESULT, THESE STREAMS MUST BE TRUCKED TO DISTANT WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES. PHASE I OF THIS PROJECTINVOLVES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTAINERIZED SYSTEM TO TREAT THESE STREAMS, USING A CONCEPT COMBINING FILTRATION, REVERSEOSMOSIS, AND PERVAPORATION. THE MAJOR TECHNICAL INNOVATIONSINVOLVE USING A PERVAPORATION SYSTEM FOR VOC REMOVAL AND INTEGRATING THE THREE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES INTO A COMPACT, VERSATILE SYSTEM, EQUIPPED WITH PROCESS CONTROL. THE SYSTEM IS SMALL ENOUGH TO TRANSPORT TO REMOTE SITES, REQUIRES LITTLE MAINTENANCE, IS EASY TO OPERATE AND REDUCES THE VOLUME OF WASTE GENERATED AT THE SITE 10- TO 20- FOLD.