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2772988 
Meetings & Symposia 
Paper 
Overview of emerging produced water treatment technologies 
Hayes, TD; Arthur, D 
2004 
In many areas of the Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent regions of the U.S., produced water management is a major factor in the feasibility of oil and gas field development. These are areas where the existing reinjection well capacities in some basins are not sufficient to dispose of growing volumes of produced water. Alternatives to reinjection include treatment of produced water streams to meet criteria for surface discharge, infiltration and beneficial reuse with brine volume reductions sufficient to extend the life of existing Class II reinjection wells. Over the past decade, a number of commercial and advanced technologies have been developed and deployed for the handling of produced waters. This presentation will provide an overview of emerging processes that have the potential of improving the economics of treating produced waters to meet objectives of brine volume reduction, surface water discharge, infiltration for groundwater recharge and beneficial use. Some major technical challenges include the control of soluble and free oils, the fouling of membrane-based desalinization processes, the control of elevated levels of soluble volatile acids, and the economical control of BTEX. Promising processing approaches to improve the economics of reaching treatment goals suitable to achieve certain water management objectives will be discussed. 
October 
11th Annual International Petroleum Environmental Conference 
Albuquerque, NM 
October 12-15, 2004