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Shale gas: Mobile water treatment tackles new oil and gas
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Feature Filtration+Separation March/April 2013
Shale gas:
Mobile water treatment tackles new oil and gas U
nconventional oil and gas reserves, including shale gas, are providing a real boon to the North American economy in particular at present. However, produced water treatment and recycle services for shale gas producers introduce new challenges. Filtration+Separation reports on one approach in Pennsylvania, USA.
Aquatech, the wastewater treatment recycle and reuse company, has been granted a permit to operate a central treatment facility in Tioga County, PA, USA. The facility, designed using Aquatech’s MoSuite™ set of technologies, will deliver a menu of wastewater treatment and recycle services to the regional shale gas producers and is accepting customer orders. MoSuite is a combination of MoTreat® and MoVap® process units, a pre-treatment and distillation evaporator specifically designed to treat drill fluids, frac flowback, production brine and other wastewaters from exploration and production of conventional and unconventional oil and gas.
The MoTreat mobile water pre-treatment system
MoTreat The MoTreat process unit offers the first tier of water treatment for flowback and produced waters. It is a pre-treatment unit consisting of a clarifier and multiple injection ports. As default treatment, the clarifier removes total suspended solids (TSS) from the water. Coupled with the injection ports, the MoTreat process unit offers a number of additional treatment options with flexibility for custom pre-treatment per the demands of incoming raw water chemistry and the requirements of the client for reuse of the treated water. Specifically, disinfection and selective precipitation for hardness and
scaling components are available per selective addition and optimisation of chemicals fed to the unit to react and thereby reduce the undesired water components. Calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphate, barium, and strontium are likely chemical species that will be addressed via processing by the MoTreat process unit. The first tier treatment by the MoTreat process unit delivers treated water for reuse by the conventional and unconventional oil and gas industry. The flexibility and adaptability of the treatment options of the MoTreat unit ensures that the treated water meets local requirements. TSS, disinfection, hardness,
Feature Filtration+Separation March/April 2013
The MoVap mobile water distillation system.
MoTreat: Mobile water pre-treatment system MoTreat provides a mobile solution to treat flowback and produced water on-site at the well pad area to yield water with minimal total suspended solids (TSS) which enables recycle and reuse without the need for costly trucking to off -site treatment facilities. Key features include: • Reduction of suspended solids • Treatment options: - Reduction of hardness compounds - Disinfection against bacteria - Precipitation of selective metals Options are available which include MoPress - a mobile filter press, a generator to power MoTreat, and frac tanks to accommodate and expand the water storage capacities. Process operating conditions Process inlet fluid
Flowback or produced water
Rated flow rate
50-200 gpm
Allowable inlet TSS @ normal flow
1000 ppm
Inlet operating temperature
40-100°F (4.4-37.8°C)
Performance Effluent water quality
< 50 ppm TSS
Discharge sludge concentration
0.5-2%
Design application rate
1.5-3.0 gpm/sq ft
Sludge flow rate
2-4 gpm
Sludge % solids
1-2%
MoVap: Mobile water distillation system MoVap provides a mobile solution to treat flowback water on-site at the well pad area to yield an ultra clean water with total dissolved solids (TDS) less than 500 ppm which enables recycle and reuse without the need for costly trucking to off-site treatment facilities and enables the reduction of wastewater volumes for further reduced costs for disposal. Key features include: • Ultra clean water of < 500ppm TDS • Reduced wastewater volumes • Treated water meets PA DEP regulations • Minimises down-hole scaling concerns Options are available which include MoPress - a mobile filter press, a generator to power MoTreat, and frac tanks to accommodate and expand the water storage capacities. Process operating conditions Process inlet fluid
MoVap Feed Water (Note 1)
Rated flow rate
30-50 gpm
Allowable inlet TSS @ normal flow
< 50 ppm
Inlet operating temperature
40-100°F (4.4-37.8°C)
Performance Distillate water flow
20 – 25 gpm
Distillate water quality
Clean water, < 500 ppm TDS
Discharge concentrate flow
20 – 25 gpm
Discharge concentrate quality
Up to 24% TDS, < 50ppm TSS
Note 1: Water has been processed by MoTreat and MoFeed to yield service conditions: pH = 5.0-8.0; chlorides = 25,000-100,000 ppm; TDS = 5-12%; TSS < 50 ppm.
and scaling ions levels are at an acceptable minimum level so that performance, reliability, and consistency are provided in the delivered water for reuse in the client’s well development programme. This approach also provides a positive impact on the water management life cycle of the well development by reducing the requirement of new source water, extending the sustainability via water reuse, and minimising the level of risk via transport of high volumes of high brine water.
MoVap The MoVap process unit offers the second tier treatment to clean the water further to an advanced level beyond what is achieved by MoTreat. The unit is an evaporator, essentially an industrial-scale distillation system, which removes total dissolved solids (TDS) to very low levels. For clarification, treated levels are well below the 500 ppm level set by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). The majority of the TDS consists of salt, i.e., sodium and chloride. Very high TDS level waters for reuse are not preferred by the conventional and unconventional oil and gas industry and are not permitted for many disposal methods by environmental regulatory agencies. The second tier treatment by the MoVap process unit delivers ultraclean distilled water. The water is available for reuse by the conventional and unconventional oil and gas industry. The reuse option has increased flexibility in Pennsylvania due to changes in regulations. Specifically, this water is dewasted by the PA DEP, which thereby opens up additional storage and water logistic options for the industry. As a result, the water management options for the industry are expanded.
•
Contact: Aquatech Tel: +1 724 746 5300 E-mail: [email protected] www.aquatech.com
25
Feature Filtration+Separation March/April 2013
Shale gas:
Mobile water treatment tackles new oil and gas U
nconventional oil and gas reserves, including shale gas, are providing a real boon to the North American economy in particular at present. However, produced water treatment and recycle services for shale gas producers introduce new challenges. Filtration+Separation reports on one approach in Pennsylvania, USA.
Aquatech, the wastewater treatment recycle and reuse company, has been granted a permit to operate a central treatment facility in Tioga County, PA, USA. The facility, designed using Aquatech’s MoSuite™ set of technologies, will deliver a menu of wastewater treatment and recycle services to the regional shale gas producers and is accepting customer orders. MoSuite is a combination of MoTreat® and MoVap® process units, a pre-treatment and distillation evaporator specifically designed to treat drill fluids, frac flowback, production brine and other wastewaters from exploration and production of conventional and unconventional oil and gas.
The MoTreat mobile water pre-treatment system
MoTreat The MoTreat process unit offers the first tier of water treatment for flowback and produced waters. It is a pre-treatment unit consisting of a clarifier and multiple injection ports. As default treatment, the clarifier removes total suspended solids (TSS) from the water. Coupled with the injection ports, the MoTreat process unit offers a number of additional treatment options with flexibility for custom pre-treatment per the demands of incoming raw water chemistry and the requirements of the client for reuse of the treated water. Specifically, disinfection and selective precipitation for hardness and
scaling components are available per selective addition and optimisation of chemicals fed to the unit to react and thereby reduce the undesired water components. Calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphate, barium, and strontium are likely chemical species that will be addressed via processing by the MoTreat process unit. The first tier treatment by the MoTreat process unit delivers treated water for reuse by the conventional and unconventional oil and gas industry. The flexibility and adaptability of the treatment options of the MoTreat unit ensures that the treated water meets local requirements. TSS, disinfection, hardness,
Feature Filtration+Separation March/April 2013
The MoVap mobile water distillation system.
MoTreat: Mobile water pre-treatment system MoTreat provides a mobile solution to treat flowback and produced water on-site at the well pad area to yield water with minimal total suspended solids (TSS) which enables recycle and reuse without the need for costly trucking to off -site treatment facilities. Key features include: • Reduction of suspended solids • Treatment options: - Reduction of hardness compounds - Disinfection against bacteria - Precipitation of selective metals Options are available which include MoPress - a mobile filter press, a generator to power MoTreat, and frac tanks to accommodate and expand the water storage capacities. Process operating conditions Process inlet fluid
Flowback or produced water
Rated flow rate
50-200 gpm
Allowable inlet TSS @ normal flow
1000 ppm
Inlet operating temperature
40-100°F (4.4-37.8°C)
Performance Effluent water quality
< 50 ppm TSS
Discharge sludge concentration
0.5-2%
Design application rate
1.5-3.0 gpm/sq ft
Sludge flow rate
2-4 gpm
Sludge % solids
1-2%
MoVap: Mobile water distillation system MoVap provides a mobile solution to treat flowback water on-site at the well pad area to yield an ultra clean water with total dissolved solids (TDS) less than 500 ppm which enables recycle and reuse without the need for costly trucking to off-site treatment facilities and enables the reduction of wastewater volumes for further reduced costs for disposal. Key features include: • Ultra clean water of < 500ppm TDS • Reduced wastewater volumes • Treated water meets PA DEP regulations • Minimises down-hole scaling concerns Options are available which include MoPress - a mobile filter press, a generator to power MoTreat, and frac tanks to accommodate and expand the water storage capacities. Process operating conditions Process inlet fluid
MoVap Feed Water (Note 1)
Rated flow rate
30-50 gpm
Allowable inlet TSS @ normal flow
< 50 ppm
Inlet operating temperature
40-100°F (4.4-37.8°C)
Performance Distillate water flow
20 – 25 gpm
Distillate water quality
Clean water, < 500 ppm TDS
Discharge concentrate flow
20 – 25 gpm
Discharge concentrate quality
Up to 24% TDS, < 50ppm TSS
Note 1: Water has been processed by MoTreat and MoFeed to yield service conditions: pH = 5.0-8.0; chlorides = 25,000-100,000 ppm; TDS = 5-12%; TSS < 50 ppm.
and scaling ions levels are at an acceptable minimum level so that performance, reliability, and consistency are provided in the delivered water for reuse in the client’s well development programme. This approach also provides a positive impact on the water management life cycle of the well development by reducing the requirement of new source water, extending the sustainability via water reuse, and minimising the level of risk via transport of high volumes of high brine water.
MoVap The MoVap process unit offers the second tier treatment to clean the water further to an advanced level beyond what is achieved by MoTreat. The unit is an evaporator, essentially an industrial-scale distillation system, which removes total dissolved solids (TDS) to very low levels. For clarification, treated levels are well below the 500 ppm level set by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). The majority of the TDS consists of salt, i.e., sodium and chloride. Very high TDS level waters for reuse are not preferred by the conventional and unconventional oil and gas industry and are not permitted for many disposal methods by environmental regulatory agencies. The second tier treatment by the MoVap process unit delivers ultraclean distilled water. The water is available for reuse by the conventional and unconventional oil and gas industry. The reuse option has increased flexibility in Pennsylvania due to changes in regulations. Specifically, this water is dewasted by the PA DEP, which thereby opens up additional storage and water logistic options for the industry. As a result, the water management options for the industry are expanded.
•
Contact: Aquatech Tel: +1 724 746 5300 E-mail: [email protected] www.aquatech.com
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