Continental J.

Water, Air and Soil Pollution 3 (1): 21 24, 2012 ISSN: 2251 0508 Wilolud Journals, 2012 http://www.wiloludjournal.com Printed in Nigeria doi:10.5707/cjwasp.2012.3.1.21.24 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND TREATMENT OF PRODUCED WATER P.N. Onwuachi-Iheagwara Department of Petroleum and Gas Engineering, Delta State University, Abraka, Oleh campus, Oleh, Nigeria. pniheagwara@gmail.com ABSTRACT This paper reviews the effect of produced water from oil and conventional natural gas production on the environment. The many chemical constituents found in produced water, when present individually or collectively in a high enough concentrations, can present a threat to aquatic life when discharged into marine environments or to crops when the water is used for irrigation. Jacobs et al. (1992) report that, in the North Sea, ambient pH is 8.1 and chlorides are about 19 g/L. Some of these chemical were observed to be formed by the precipitation from the water due to temperature change (Utvik 2003). The different potential impacts are dependent on concentration and discharged point. The constituents of produced water affect the environment into which it is discharged and operations. As the well ages, the volume of produced water increases and this present challenges which calls for finesse and some degree of understanding of the constituents of produced water and their effects on the environment of discharge. Because of its sheer volume and its high handling cost management of produced water is a key issue in any hydrocarbon recovery program; its potential environmental impacts if not properly managed, could be substantial. KEYWORDS: environmental impact, produced water, pollution, oil and gas production, produced water treatment INTRODUCTION When hydrocarbons are produced, they are brought to the surface as a produced fluid mixture. The composition of this produced fluid generally includes a mixture of either liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons, produced water. The produced water contains dissolved or suspended solids, produced solids (sand or silt), injected fluids and additives that may have been placed in the formation during exploration and production activities. Lee et al (2002) report that U.S. wells produce an average of more than 7 bbl of water for each barrel of oil where as wells elsewhere in the world average 3 bbl of water for each barrel of oil It has been estimated that for 1999, an average of 210 million bbl of water was produced each day worldwide (Khatib and Verbeek, 2003). Produced water is an inextricable part of the hydrocarbon recovery process and the need to optimize water management cannot be over stated .Produced water must be adequately handled, at a considerable cost to operator, to prevent and/or minimize environmental degradation AIM OF STUDY This paper aims to highlight the danger posed by the millions of barrels of water produced daily from oil and gas fields in different parts of the world. Study from several sources shows that this water contaminates the environment into which they are discharged. Important factors that determine the magnitude of the hazard includes The concentration of dispersed oil in produced water , oil density, interfacial tension between oil and water phases, type and efficiency of chemical treatment, and type, size, and efficiency of the physical separation equipment (Ali et al. 1999). WHAT IS PRODUCED WATER? During oil and gas production water trapped in underground formations are brought to the surface, this water is known as Produced water . Management of produced water presents challenges that should not

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P.N. Onwuachi-Iheagwara: Continental J. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 3 (1): 21 24, 2012

be ignored. This paper is intended to throw more light on the how produced water is generated and its potential impacts on the environment and on oil and gas operations. The characteristics and physical properties of produced water differ considerably depending on the geographic location of the field, the geological formation with which it has been in contact for thousands of years, and the type of hydrocarbon product produced. Its properties and volume also vary during the lifetime of the reservoir. Table 1 Constituents of Produced water Water Hydrocarbons Dispersed Dissolved (BTEX) Precipitated ( waxes and asphaltenes) These 3 Solid Suspended (sands, scales, corrosion products) Dissolved (salts n, carbon , iron) Gases (oxygen, carbon dioxides, hydrogen sulphides) 4 Production Chemicals 5 Metals 6 NORM( normally occurring radioactive minerals) contaminants have to be removed before the water can be re-used or disposed. Treatment of produced water involves all processes used to remove these contaminants from the produced water. 1 2 These processes used include: 1. De-oiling 2. De-sanding After treatment these water can be used in several capacities. Namely: 1. Surface disposal into sea or evaporation ponds. This is subject to local environmental regulations 2. Injection into a disposal well which may be a watered down part of the reservoir 3. Re-injection for pressure maintenance thereby replacing sea/aquifer water as a source of water for this activity 4. Reuse for agricultural purposes and in irrigation or as an industrial process water Treatment of produced water is important for several reasons including the under listed. ACUTE TOXICITY Works by Frost et al 1998 showed that the main culprits are the aromatics and the phenol. The impact of these on in the short term depends to a large extent to the concentration and the point of discharge. Effects are minimal in area of rapid dilution. (Cline 1998) CHRONIC TOXICITY Studies by US DOE 2004 indicate that the produced waters discharged from gas/condensate platforms are about 10 times more toxic than the produced waters discharged from oil platforms However, for produced water discharged offshore, the volumes from gas production are much lower, so the total impact may be less. Most countries adopt one form of control or the other. In Norway Johnsen (2003) and Johnsen et al (2000) reports on a detail methodology that involves employs a risk-based approach to compare the predicted

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P.N. Onwuachi-Iheagwara: Continental J. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 3 (1): 21 24, 2012

environmental concentration for each constituent with the predicted no-effect concentration. This approach varies from the US EPA method whereby offshore oil and gas operations require chronic toxicity testing. EFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND OPERATIONS The ratio of produced water to oil is expected to increase as the wells age this is expected to adversely affect the environment as the actual impacts of produced water constituents is a function of the concentration. The variety of potential additive, synergistic, and antagonistic effects of multiple constituents can affect actual impacts. The danger from cross-media impacts must also be acknowledged (whereby a technology designed to address a problem in environment creates problem for another.) it is known that at the surface dispersed oil may spread and increased biological oxygen demand near the mixing zone which have an adverse effect on aquatic life. (Stephenson, 1992) FACTORS AFFECTING PRODUCED WATER PRODUCTION AND VOLUME The importance of an analysis of the factors affecting produced water production cannot be overemphasized. Optimization in the production and handling of produced water not only translate into lower operational cost for the lease operator but also a conservation of a natural resource that may otherwise be wasted or diminished. Reynolds and Kiker 2003 in their study considered factors can affect the volume of produced water during the life cycle of a well. Their study considered: 1. Completion Type 2. Well type, the Type of well drilled 3. Water separation and treatment facilities WELL COMPLETION A perforated completion offers a greater degree of well control than is absence in open-hole completion. Specific intervals in the hydrocarbon-producing zone can either be targeted for plugged to minimize water production when necessary. TYPE OF WELL DRILLED AND ITS LOCATION With similar drawdown horizontal well produce at higher rates than a vertical well thus delaying the entry of water into the well bore in a bottom water drive reservoir , the location of well within reservoir structure is important in the anticipated time for commencement of water production. WATER SEPARATION AND TREATMENT FACILITIES When surface separation and treatment facilities are in the produced water management of produced water, an additional expense is cost incurred in lifting the water to the surface as well. Once at the surface other expenses are the cost of equipment and chemical for treatment of the water. A more appealing method should be the down-hole separation with equipment that allows the produced water to remain down-hole. CONCLUSION With today level of technology produced water is an inextricable part of the hydrocarbon recovery process. It therefore behoves us to establish an unambiguous policy worldwide on its production and deposal. The hazard posed by this often overlook by-product of oil and gas exploitation may be a time bomb waiting to go off in the near future.

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P.N. Onwuachi-Iheagwara: Continental J. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 3 (1): 21 24, 2012

REFERENCE Lee, R., R. Seright, M. Hightower, A. Sattler, M. Cather, B. McPherson, L. Wrotenbery, D. Martin, and M. Whitworth, 2002, Strategies for Produced Water Handling in New Mexico, presented at the 2002 Ground Water Protection Council Produced Water Conference, Colorado Springs, CO, Oct. 16-17. (Paper available at: http://www.gwpc.org/Meetings/ PW2002/Papers-Abstracts.htm.) Khatib, Z. and P. Verbeek, 2003, Water to Value Produced Water Management for Sustainable Field Development of Mature and Green Fields, Journal of Petroleum, Technology, Jan., pp. 26-28. Frost T.K., S. Johnsen, and T.I. Utvik, 1998, Environmental Effects of Produced Water Discharges to the Marine Environment, OLF, Norway (Available at http://www.olf.no/static/ en/rapporter/producedwater/summary.html) Cline, J.T., 1998, Treatment and Discharge of Produced Water for Deep Offshore Disposal, presented at the API Produced Water Management Technical Forum and Exhibition, Lafayette, LA, Nov. 17-18. Johnsen, S., T.K. Frost, M. Hjelsvold, and T.R. Utvik, 2000, The Environmental Impact Factor A Proposed Tool for Produced Water Impact Reduction, Management and Regulation, SPE 61178, SPE International Conference on Health Safety and the Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Stavanger, Norway, June 26-28. Johnsen, S., 2003, Risk Assessment Based Environmental Management of Produced Water from Offshore Oil and Gas Fields, presented at the Produced Water Workshop, Aberdeen, Scotland, March 26-27 U.S. Department of Energy, 2004 A white paper on produced water from oil and gas production and coal bed methane, National Energy Technology Laboratory Stephenson, M.T., 1992, A Survey of Produced Water Studies, in Produced Water, J.P. Ray and F.R. Englehart (eds.), Plenum Press, New York. Ali, S.A., L.R. Henry, J.W. Darlington, and J. Occapinti, 1999, Novel Filtration Process Removes Dissolved Organics from Produced Water and Meets Federal Oil and Grease Guidelines, 9th Produced Water Seminar, Houston, TX, January 21-22. Jacobs, R.P.W.M., R.O.H. Grant, J. Kwant, J.M. Marqueine, and E. Mentzer, 1992, The Composition of Produced Water from Shell Operated Oil and Gas Production in the North Sea, Produced Water, J.P. Ray and F.R. Englehart (eds.), Plenum Press, New York. Utvik, T.I., 2003 Composition and Characteristics of Produced Water in the North Sea, Produced Water Workshop, Aberdeen, Scotland, March 26-27. Received for Publication: 24/02/2012 Accepted for Publication: 02/05/2012

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