Laura Bradt
2011-2012 UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWS PROGRAM
PROPOSAL
INTRODUCTION
An Argonne National Labs study indentifies produced water as underground water
brought to the surface by oil or gas production. The United States generates 1.7 to 2.3 billion
gallons of produced water every day [1]. This water contains high levels of organic and salt
compounds. Produced water management either involves reuse or disposal. Disposal can occur
by re-injection into the well, discharge into the environment, reuse in oil production, or
beneficial consumption. Discharging and reusing for beneficial consumption both involve strict
quality regulations. However, current treatments struggle to remove small oil particles and
solvated pollutants [2]. Oil producing countries with extreme shortages of water seek processes
treating water or beneficial consumption [3]. Beneficial consumption involves agricultural and
consumer use of water.
Geographic location, geologic formation, type of hydrocarbon produced, and age of
production well influence the physical and chemical properties of produced water [1]. In
addition, re-injection of produced water into wells can affect the properties of water produced
from that well. The Argonne study found that Texas creates the most produced water at over
seven million barrels. The most used methods of disposal are injection for enhanced recovery,
injection or disposal, and surface discharge, respectively [1].
Produced water research approach at Texas A&M University involves studying the
treatment process of pretreatment followed by reverse osmosis. The system is optimized using
models of flow, feed composition, temperature, and pressure. The goal of my research is to
Laura Bradt
develop an inexpensive, optimal, high reliability, and low maintenance unit for produced water
treatment [4].
One of the goals of treatment is beneficial re-use. This usually involves lowering the
concentration of salt and organic pollutants in the water [5]. Depending on the method, produced
water treatment can be cheaper than reinjection. Water poor areas highly value this treated water
[6].
Mohamed, Maraqa, and Al Handhaly evaluated the procedures for disposal of reject
brine into the desert soils of the Middle East. Disposal occurred into an unlined pit with chemical
content exceeding Gulf Cooperation Council standards [7]. Al-Faifi describes the deterioration of
soil that occurs with the disposal of waste brine into evaporation ponds. The main issue involves
the exchange of calcium ions in the soil with sodium ions from the waste brine. This process
decreases the water infiltration and aeration of the soil [3], because sodium ions disperse clay.
Clay is essential to the water infiltration, aeration, and nutrient content of the soil.
OBJECTIVE
Treatment options in desalination plants include chemical, physical, and biological
methods to create water for consumption and use. Desalination plants often dispose of the waste
brine and treated water onto the land. Movement of water and salts are major soil forming
processes.
Waste Brine Land
Disposal
Treated Produced
Water Re-use and
Land Disposal
Cumulative
Effects on
Soil
Figure 1: Research
Project Focus Areas
Desalination
Process
Produced Water
Retrieved from Well
Laura Bradt
The research project will seek to address the gap in engineering knowledge of the
cumulative effect of wastewater retrieval, treatment, and disposal on the soil and surrounding
environment. Filling this knowledge gap will lead to a methodology that identifies any part of the
treatment process that negatively affects soil subjected to treated water, waste brine, land
disposal. Identifying these issues will help achieve process optimization leading to the most
favorable process configuration for a given soil.
METHODOLOGY
The initial phase of research will involve compiling detailed descriptions and process
diagrams of several desalination processes including reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and waste
stabilization ponds. This phase will be followed by research on the general impacts of the
components of treated produced water and waste brine on any soil. Identifying undesirable
components will guide evaluation and optimization of each process. The software, Lingo, can aid
in solving optimization problems; and the software, Aspen, can aid in modeling processes.
SUMMARY
This research will occur during the Fall of 2011 and the Spring of 2012. The goal is to
optimize desalination of water processed to produce minimal effect on soil after land disposal of
the treated water and waste brine. The results, will contribute to a process design and
demonstrate use of a methodology to evaluate the impact of any process on soil after land
disposal of products.
WORKS CITED:
Laura Bradt
[1] C.E. Clark, J.A. Veil, Produced Water Volumes and Management Practices in the United States, in,
Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago, 2009.
[2] F.R. Ahmadun, A. Pendashteh, L.C. Abdullah, D.R.A. Biak, S.S. Madaeni, Z.Z. Abidin, Review of
technologies for oil and gas produced water treatment, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 170 (2009) 530551.
[3] H. Al-Faifi, A.M. Al-Omran, M. Nadeem, A. El-Eter, H.A. Khater, S.E. El-Maghraby, Soil deterioration as
influenced by land disposal of reject brine from Salbukh water desalination plant at Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, Desalination, 250 (2010) 479-484.
4] G. Morales, M. Barrufet, Desalination of Produced Water Using Reverse Osmosis, in, Texas A&M
University, 2002.
[5] M. Melo, H. Schluter, J. Ferreira, R. Magda, A. Junior, O. de Aquino, Advanced performance
evaluation of a reverse osmosis treatment for oilfield produced water aiming reuse, Desalination, 250
(2010) 1016-1018.
[6] A. Szep, R. Kohlheb, Water treatment technology for produced water, Water Science and
Technology, 62 (2010) 2372-2380.
[7] A.M.O. Mohamed, M. Maraqa, J. Al Handhaly, Impact of land disposal of reject brine from
desalination plants on soil and gr[oundwater, Desalination, 182 (2005) 411-433.