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The purpose of this work is to study the influence of oil and surfactant present in produced water on the membrane distillation and membrane crystallization performance. The latter is evaluated in terms of permeate flux, quality of permeate and sodium chloride crystallization kinetics. Polypropylene and Hyflon AD40H/PVDF composite membranes with 0.2 μ m pore size were used in the investigation. The tests were carried out in direct contact configuration using two synthetic feed solutions: the first one without oil and surfactant, and the second one with oil and surfactant. The achieved results showed a permeate flux reduction of 20 and 40% for PP and AD40H, respectively, in membrane distillation and of 35% in membrane crystallization. These results may be attributed to the interaction between the salts and surfactant, which led to the deterioration of the membrane performance. Despite this, high salt rejection factors greater than 99.9% and total carbon rejections ranging between 80 and 90% indicated the good potential of membrane distillation technology for the treatment of produced water. Moreover, good quality crystals and high total water recovery factor (97%) were achieved using the membrane crystallization process. Nevertheless, the presence of oil and surfactant in the feed caused an increase in the induction time compared to the system without oil and surfactant. In addition, in the performed experiments, simple physical cleaning with distillate water was sufficient to recover the initial trans-membrane flux of the membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most common problems encountered in the oil industry is the microbiologically induced corrosion (MIC) of steel equipment by the produced water (PW). In this aspect, PW sample, which is known to contain microorganisms, was taken from Adıyaman oil field and used in corrosion tests of N80 tubing steel. Two different laboratory scale systems, test (with non-sterile PW) and control (with sterile PW), were set up and operated at 70°C over 720 h. For corrosion analysis, the coupons were removed from the laboratory-scale systems at certain time intervals and, gravimetric and electrochemical analyses were carried out. The surface of the coupons was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The corrosion rates of the test coupons obtained from gravimetric analyses were higher than the control ones during the experiment, and the test coupons were 1.46 times more corroded at the end of the experiment. Additionally, it was determined that the current values of the test coupons were significantly higher than those in the control system (p<0.05). The results of corrosion analyses pointed out that N80 steel was corroded microbiologically. SEM analysis showed that microorganisms were present among the corrosion products. The corrosion data obtained from the control system also indicated that the PW was aggressive for N80 steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced water (PW) presents a significant challenge as a complex wastewater stream, necessitating thorough treatment prior to disposal or further reuse. This study is dedicated to the assessment, reproduction and upgrading of literature‐based preparation protocols for synthetic PW at the tertiary treatment stage; more specifically those methods utilizing high‐pressure homogenizers and ultrasonication. The objective was to produce synthetic model water that can be employed as a standardized controllable medium for optimization experiments of PW treatment techniques. This synthetic medium should facilitate the investigation of specific challenges associated with PW tertiary treatment, independent of the different and often unpredictable composition of real PW. The refined methods were modified for the application in lab‐scale research investigating the use of membrane filtration as tertiary treatment step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of B20 cluster decorated with alkali metals (AM = Li, Na, and K) and alkaline earth metals (AEM = Ca, Mg, and Be) to adsorb hydrogen molecules is investigated using density functional theory (DFT). The Bader's topological parameters suggest the presence of non-bonded interaction between the bare structures and H2 molecules. Global reactivity descriptor values confirm that the structures remain stable even after the adsorption of H2 molecules. The results indicate that Na adorned B20 (B20Na2) can store up to 12H2 molecules, with a hydrogen storage capacity of 8.33 wt% and an average adsorption energy is 0.127 eV/H2. The findings suggest that B20 cluster decorated with AM and AEM have the ability to be a promising hydrogen storage material. Additionally, to gain insights into the adsorption and desorption behaviors of H2 molecules, ADMP molecular dynamics simulations methods were performed at room temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two pilot-scale desalination systems employing carbon modified nano-sized, zero valent metals (n-ZVMs) were manufactured and tested to determine (1) the degree to which high-salt water (20 to 130 mS) could be desalinated and (2) if this degree of desalination could be maintained throughout an extended treatment period. The two pilot systems (referred to as Generation 1 and Generation 2) consisted of parallel lines of four individual reactors in series, a settling tank and an activated carbon cell at the end of each reactor line. The system capacity was 300 gal in Generation 1 and 600 gal in Generation 2 with a total hydraulic residence time of 6 h per reactor line (one hour per cell/tank). A slurry of n-ZVMs manufactured from mixtures of ferrous sulfate and green or black tea extract was introduced in the first reactor on each line to yield approximately 5 to 45 g of nano metal per 100 L of influent salt water based on dosing experiments required to achieve maximum salt removal at each of the three influent salt contents used, 28 mS, 44 mS and 123 mS. Once dosing was set, continuous runs (14 days, 23 days and 9 days) were carried out. The results demonstrated that maximum removal occurred with 10 g/100 L of salt for the 30 mS salt solution, 16 g/100 L of salt for the 40 mS influent water and 40 g/100 L for the 130 mS influent. Salt removal (expressed as Na+ and Cl− removed) approached 78% for the 30 mS influent and 41 mS influent, respectively, while removal for the highest concentration salt influent (130 mS) approached 81%. Continuous operation over the extended time-period showed no significant decrease in salt removal with a typical day to day variation of no more than 10%, suggesting that this approach to desalination could rapidly provide usable water from saline aquifers, seawater or even produced water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial communities have long been observed in oil reservoirs, where the subsurface conditions are major drivers shaping their structure and functions. Furthermore, anthropogenic activities such as water flooding during oil production can affect microbial activities and community compositions in oil reservoirs through the injection of recycled produced water, often associated with biocides. However, it is still unclear to what extent the introduced chemicals and microbes influence the metabolic potential of the subsurface microbiome. Here we investigated an onshore oilfield in Germany (Field A) that undergoes secondary oil production along with biocide treatment to prevent souring and microbially induced corrosion (MIC). With the integrated approach of 16 S rRNA gene amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing of water-oil samples from 4 production wells and 1 injection well, we found differences in microbial community structure and metabolic functions. In the injection water samples, amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) belonging to families such as Halanaerobiaceae , Ectothiorhodospiraceae, Hydrogenophilaceae, Halobacteroidaceae, Desulfohalobiaceae, and Methanosarcinaceae were dominant, while in the production water samples, ASVs of families such as Thermotogaceae, Nitrospiraceae, Petrotogaceae, Syntrophaceae, Methanobacteriaceae, and Thermoprotei were also dominant. The metagenomic analysis of the injection water sample revealed the presence of C1-metabolism, namely, genes involved in formaldehyde oxidation. Our analysis revealed that the microbial community structure of the production water samples diverged slightly from that of injection water samples. Additionally, a metabolic potential for oxidizing the applied biocide clearly occurred in the injection water samples indicating an adaptation and buildup of degradation capacity or resistance against the added biocide. • Integrated approach of 16S rRNA gene amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing of water-oil samples. • Differences in microbial community structure and metabolic functions between production wells and injection wells. • Metabolic potential for oxidizing the applied biocide in the injection water samples. • Insights of in situ formaldehyde oxidation in oil reservoirs well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of deoiling hydrocyclone systems as the downstream of three-phase gravity separator (TPGS) systems is one of the most commonly deployed produced water treatment processes in offshore oil and gas production. Due to the compact system's complexity and tailor-made features, it is always challenging to develop some optimally coordinated control solution for the coupled hydrocyclone and TPGS systems. It is obvious that coordinated control can better fulfill legislative discharge regulation by robustly maintaining high separation efficiencies. This paper presents a new control solution for a set of integrated hydrocyclone and TPGS systems by applying an improved multi-variable model reference adaptive control (MV-MRAC) approach with the aim of achieving both asymptotic output tracking and unknown disturbance rejection. A robust MV-MRAC controller design is proposed based on a control parameterization derived from a factorization of a high-frequency gain matrix K p = L D S as a product of three matrices, where L represents unity lower triangular, D = s i g n (D) represents diagonal, and S represents positive definite, and a teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithm for optimizing the adaption rates. The developed solution is analyzed and compared with a commonly deployed PI control solution on a model that is derived from a lab-scale produced water treatment process. This simulation study demonstrates the promising potential of the proposed control solution compared with the currently deployed PI control solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous treatment modalities have been employed over the years to eradicate bacterial communities in industrial wastewater. Oxidizing agents and chemical additives, such as ozone, permanganate, glutaraldehyde, and chlorine, are effective in treating microbial contaminants that are typically found in domestic wastewater. However, the chemical complexity of water produced from fracking requires novel approaches, because the microbes have developed mechanisms to overcome typical disinfectants. In this work, we test the effectiveness of bacteriophages for the eradication of two model bacteria from produced water: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus megaterium. These bacteria were grown in low salinity produced water and exposed to their corresponding phage. Overall, the total inactivation of the P. aeruginosa population was achieved, as well as the inactivation of B. megaterium. These promising results provide a potentially useful tool for bacterial elimination in overall PW treatment, at an industrial scale. Particularly, since phage treatment is a rapid and cost-effective alternative. Moreover, these results fall within the objectives proposed as part of the sustainable development goals adopted worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced water (PW) is the largest by-product that comes out of the oil wells during oil and gas (O&G) field exploration. PW contains high-salt concentration along with other organic and inorganic components; therefore, PW must be treated before disposal. Electrocoagulation (EC) is an effective treatment method to remove pollutants from PW which has been the focus of many experimental studies; however, a mathematical model specifically for PW treatment by EC has not been developed yet. In this work, a comprehensive mathematical model has been developed to elucidate the role of EC operating parameters on the PW treatment performance and determine the mechanism for COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) removal. The present model considers and identifies the dominant Al-hydroxy complex species and their contribution to the COD removal from synthetic PW samples by estimating their rate constants and comparing their magnitudes and investigates multi-scale modelling of the EC reactor. The influence of working parameters such as current density, initial pH, interelectrode distance, mixing speed and solution volume of PW on Al coagulant production and COD removal was investigated and modelled. The study estimates the rate constants of the reactions taking place for COD removal by EC process and by comparing their magnitudes identifies the dominant reactions and coagulant species involved in the process. The mathematical model prediction of COD removal fits well with the experimental data at 10 mA cm−2, 15 mA cm−2 and 20 mA cm−2 current density with R2 value of 0.96, 0.97 and 0.92, respectively and for dissolved Al concentration R2 value of 0.96, 0.99, and 0.97, respectively. The simulated results reproduced a good fit at initial pH of 6.1, 7.3 and 8.6 with R2 value of 0.92, 0.96 and 0.98, respectively for COD removal. The mathematical model and the experimental results showed the role of dominant Al-hydroxy complex species such as Al OH 2 + , Al OH 2 + , Al OH 3 , Al 2 OH 2 + 4 and Al OH 4 - in controlling the COD removal process. Under different operating conditions considered in the study, the model also predicted the COD removal performance of the EC reactors at different reactor volumes with R2 value of 0.96 for higher solution volume and larger reactor. The model presented and rate constants determined in the study will provide a theoretical basis for designing, scaling up and operating the EC reactor for oil-field PW treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum-produced water is the primary effluent generated during the oil extraction process, presenting high flow rates, and containing a series of chemical components that are harmful to the environment, such as dissolved manganese. The proof of metrological compatibility between laboratories and different test methods or techniques is an analytical challenge when complying with environmental laws and regulations, which is the aim of this study. The first step of this study was to compare the results of manganese content in real test samples of produced water between some laboratories that used different test methods, that is, flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Based on one-way analysis of variance, systematic errors were found. The following step was to visit a specific lab, where one could confirm the relevance of the wavelength parameters, operating conditions for the view configuration, and effects of the saline matrices. Finally, a compatibility assessment between the reference laboratory and a new laboratory, which implemented and validated its analytical methodology based on these analytical adjustments, and the experiences and lessons learned in the previous step, was undertaken by a paired t-test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced water is the main waste stream in the oil and gas sector, with significantly greater concentrations of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and other contaminants. Several works and technologies were developed to reuse the produced water in many applications including drilling and completion fluids. However, in general, a pretreatment is required. According to our knowledge, the reuse of produced water in non-aqueous drilling is still not reported. Therefore, this work proposed the formulation of olefin-based drilling fluids containing between 20-40% of untreated produced water. Through factorial experimental design, the influence of produced water, emulsifier, and viscosifier on the properties of the formulated emulsions was investigated. Our results show that produced water without treatment can be used as an aqueous phase for olefin-based drilling fluids, with the best formulation being the test that has RO/A = 60/40, emulsifier concentration of 14.26 kg/m³ and viscosifier concentration of 2.85 kg/m³. The well-cleaning properties of the proposed formulation were evaluated through numerical simulation in a well with high inclination. The results showed that the hole cleaning was not affected by using untreated produced water in the fluid formulation. The results presented here open a new possibility to reuse produced water in drilling operations without performance loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term biological time series are essential to evaluate previous responses of organisms to alterations in the environment. Biochronological methods based on archival fish otoliths allow setting such time series, but their predictive potential as proxies of past environmental conditions is still underexploited. In this study, we reconstructed growth variation in European sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in the Baltic Sea from 1956 to 2020 based on measurements of the archived otoliths. We used otolith annual increment widths as a proxy of fish somatic growth. We showed significant negative relationships between sprat growth and sprat spawning stock biomass (SSB) associated with strong intraspecific competition for limited food resources. We also identified a link between sprat growth and water salinity—indicator of the ecosystem's hydrological situation. For the first time, we estimated the SSB prior to the period of available historical data based on the otolith-derived information on the past growth variation. This estimation was based on the strong relationships between SSB and fish growth, complemented with temperature and salinity variables as predictors (R2 = 0.62). A model trained on at least 40 years of data from the more recent past allows us to robustly back-estimate SSB. This study provides new multidecadal data, giving insights into environmental factors affecting the growth of Baltic sprat, and demonstrates the potential of otolith-based biochronology for the provisioning of independent indices of the historical fish stock size. The proposed methodological approach broadens the portfolio of possible applications of the biochronology time series to indicate past changes in the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a Ceramic Membrane‐based Produced Water Treatment Technology and its application to water samples from Al‐Ain (Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates). The samples were collected during the summer of 2022 from Ain Fayda (lake water) and Al‐Ain cement factory (groundwater). This study investigates the effectiveness of the ceramic membrane for treating water samples and removing solid particles. A dead‐end filtration mode with a filtration flux of 3 m3/m2/d was used. For the Ain Fayda Lake water sample, the transmembrane pressure during filtration reached 120 kPa (temperature adjusted to 25°C); air blowing was used to reduce the transmembrane pressure to around 70 kPa and Total Suspended Solids were reduced from 1.4 to <1 mg/L during 160 min of filtration. For the Al‐Ain cement factory water sample, the transmembrane pressure during filtration reached 160 kPa (temperature adjusted to 25°C); air blowing reduced the transmembrane pressure to around 65 kPa and the Total Suspended Solids from 9.1 to <1 mg/L during 130 min of filtration. Both water samples belong to the Na‐Cl water type. Overall, this work shows the effectiveness of the Ceramic Membrane‐based Produced Water Treatment Technology for reducing Total Suspended Solids in sampled waters; thus, we recommend this approach for treating surface waters in Al‐Ain to improve the environment and possible usage in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the extensive demand for lithium (Li) for rechargeable batteries, it is crucial to enhance Li production by diversifying its resources. Recent studies have found that produced water from shale reservoirs contains various organic and inorganic components, including a significant amount of Li. In this study, findings from hydrothermal reaction experiments were analyzed to fully understand the release of Li from organic-rich shale rock. Subsequently, numerical algorithms were developed for both pore-scale and continuum-scale models to simulate the long-term behavior of Li in shale brines. The experimental conditions considered four different hydrothermal solutions, including the solutions of KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, and NaCl with various concentrations under the temperature of 130 °C, 165 °C, and 200 °C. The release of Li from shale rock into fluid was regarded as a chemical interaction of cation exchange between rock and fluid. The reactive transport pore-scale and upscaled continuum-scale models were developed by coupling the chemical reaction model of Li interaction between rock and fluid. The model was first implemented to investigate the release and transport of Li in the pore scale. Continuum-scale properties, such as effective diffusivity coefficients and Li release rate, were obtained as the field-averaged pore-scale modeling results. These properties were used as the input data for the upscaled continuum-scale simulation. The findings of this study are expected to provide new insight into the production of Li from shale brines by elucidating the release, fate, and transport of Li in subsurface formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced water (PW) generated by Australian offshore oil and gas activities is typically discharged to the ocean after treatment. These complex mixtures of organic and inorganic compounds can pose significant environmental risk to receiving waters, if not managed appropriately. Oil and gas operators in Australia are required to demonstrate that environmental impacts of their activity are managed to levels that are as low as reasonably practicable, for example, through risk assessments comparing predicted no‐effect concentrations (PNECs) with predicted environmental concentrations of PW. Probabilistic species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approaches are increasingly being used to derive PW PNECs and subsequently calculating dilutions of PW (termed "safe" dilutions) required to protect a nominated percentage of species in the receiving environment (e.g., 95% and 99% or PC95 and PC99, respectively). Limitations associated with SSDs include fitting a single model to small (six to eight species) data sets, resulting in large uncertainty (very wide 95% confidence limits) in the region associated with PC99 and PC95 results. Recent advances in SSD methodology, in the form of model averaging, claim to overcome some of these limitations by applying the average model fit of multiple models to a data set. We assessed the advantages and limitations of four different SSD software packages for determining PNECs for five PWs from a gas and condensate platform off the North West Shelf of Australia. Model averaging reduced occurrences of extreme uncertainty around PC95 and PC99 values compared with single model fitting and was less prone to the derivation of overly conservative PC99 and PC95 values that resulted from lack of fit to single models. Our results support the use of model averaging for improved robustness in derived PNEC and subsequent "safe" dilution values for PW discharge management and risk assessment. In addition, we present and discuss the toxicity of PW considering the paucity of such information in peer‐reviewed literature. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:498–517. © 2023 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). Key Points: For produced water (PW) toxicity data sets with eight species, model averaging was advantageous over single model fitting by reducing occurrences of very wide 95% confidence limits around PC95 and PC99 values and were less prone to derivation of overly conservative PC99 and PC95 values.The two model averaging software packages that we assessed were competitive contenders for use as alternatives to Burrlioz in the Australian context, and either would be appropriate for use with the case study PW data sets.Our findings strongly support the use of model averaging over single‐distribution model fitting to derive predicted no‐effect concentration values for PW discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free radical polymerization was selected to obtain a promising copolymer scale inhibitor IA‐AM‐SAS with good water solubility and temperature and salt resistance, which is suitable for the treatment of surface pipeline water in oil fields, using itaconic acid (IA), acrylamide (AM), and sodium acrylsulfonate (SAS) as the monomers. The structure of the synthesized copolymer was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric results showed that the copolymer does not undergo significant thermal degradation at temperatures below 356°C, indicating that the copolymer has good thermal stability. The molecular weights of the polymers at different monomer ratios were measured using gel permeation chromatography and the relationship between the molecular weights and scale inhibition performance was discussed. The results showed that the scale inhibition effect was best when the monomer molar ratio n(IA): n(AM): n(SAS) was 0.5:2:1.5 and the number of average molecular weight of the prepared copolymer was 7712 g/mol, and the inhibition efficiency of CaCO3 was 84.02% when IA‐AM‐SAS was at a concentration of 30 mg L−1, and the inhibition rate was measured by the standard of static scale inhibition test in the oilfield measured. The range of conditions (PH, Ca2+ concentration, water temperature, and time) of the static scale inhibition test was then expanded using a one‐way controlled variable experiment to explore the performance of IA‐AM‐SAS scale inhibitors under different water quality conditions. The scale inhibition mechanism was explored by scanning electron microscopy, x‐ray diffraction, and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Briefly, the combination of multiple functional groups enables IA‐AM‐SAS to be applied in complex and challenging environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater generated as a result of extracting oil and gas from subterranean reservoirs is known as produced water. There are suspended solids, dissolved solids, organic and inorganic compounds, emulsified oil, and other substances. Untreated produced water may have a harmful impact on the ecology. In this study, waste from Coronavirus Face Masks was used as an adsorbent dosage for produced water adsorption discharged from the south Oil Company – Basra. In each trial, a 250 ml beaker held 100 ml of generated water, temperature (25, 35 and 50)°C, adsorbent dosage (2, 5 and 10)g, Investigations were also conducted on contact duration (30, 60, and 90) minutes, pH at (2, 4, 6, and 8), and mixer rotational speed (200 rpm). The ideal parameters for removing 97 percent of the oil were determined to be 25°C, pH 8, 5 g of adsorbent, and 90 min of contact time using a generic model built from the experimental data. Other oil removal equilibrium isotherm models did not adequately account for the experimental results, as did the Langmuir equation. The most common type of adsorption used in kinetics research is pseudo-first-order adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In offshore platforms, elevated costs due to effluent quantity, logistics, space limitation, and availability of solvents hinder produced water treatment, leading petrochemical industries to develop feasible backup strategies to create a sustainable treatment of this byproduct. This context motivates the present study's proposal to use diesel oil in offshore facilities as onboard fuel to remove naphthenic acids (model compound of the dissolved organic fraction) through liquid-liquid extraction. Results achieved out in a separation funnel using synthetic produced water ([cyclohexanecarboxylic naphthenic acid] 0 = 500 mg/L) and diesel as an extracting solvent (10%) present high removal efficiencies of about 60% of the cyclohexanecarboxylic naphthenic acid present in synthetic water produced at pH 2% and 42% at pH 4. The characterization analysis of the diesel oil after the liquid-liquid extraction process indicates that it is suitable for reuse as fuel within the offshore platform dispensing further treatments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A massive volume of produced water (PW) generated in the process of oil extraction must be treated effectively due to its threat to the ecosystems and human health. Different biological treatment technologies have been used in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) systems to treat PW. However, their influence on treatment performance has not been investigated. In this study, three PW treatment plants (PWTPs) with different treatment technologies were compared in the following aspects: microbial community structure and assembly, functional genes, and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The results indicated that different biological treatment technologies led to the variations in the diversity and composition of the microbial community. Phylogenetic bin-based null model analysis (iCAMP) revealed that different treatment technologies deterministically drove the assembly of microbial communities, especially the genera associated with the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons. The results of the metagenomic analysis showed that the genes related to the degradation of alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons were the most abundant in PWTP3, suggesting it had the highest petroleum degradation potential. In addition, the highest abundance of ARGs in PWTP1 indicated the potential facilitation of ARG dissemination in activated sludge systems. Network analysis indicated that the dissemination of ARGs in the PWTPs might be mediated by transposases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the characteristics of membrane distillation technology and the current research progress and hot issues, and compares the latest research progress of membrane distillation technology in terms of membrane material characteristics, membrane wetting and pollution, membrane material modification, research and application in oil and gas field produced water, etc. Membrane distillation technology was found to have great potential for the treatment of oilfield talent effluent, and the energy consumption limitation of membrane distillation technology can be improved by using low-grade thermal energy and coupling other processes. The improvement of membrane materials to obtain high flux and pollution resistant hydrophobic membranes is the key to achieve industrial application of membrane distillation technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) may be found in produced water (PW) due to its manganese (Mn) content and may survive by oxidizing Mn. Additionally, different Mn concentrations can alter the growth of MOB, their growth phases, and their ability to produce MnOx. To investigate these aspects, the presence of MOB was investigated in PW. The MOB isolate was identified by molecular and biochemical methods. Its ability to oxidize Mn was also evaluated using Mn-oxidation agar medium with different Mn concentrations (0.15, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 g/L). The strain was identified as Bacillus zhangzhouensis. The results showed that the Mn concentrations affected both the strain's growth and its ability to oxidize Mn. Triauxic growth was observed at the concentrations of 0.5 g/L and 1 g/L where the bacterium showed the most intensive growth and Mn-oxidation. In contrast, the concentrations of 2 and 3 g/L inhibited bacterial growth. This is the first study reporting the isolation of Mn-oxidizing B. zhangzhouensis from oil environment. The oil industry should consider the presence of this bacterium as it might be a potential risk for microbiologically influenced corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane distillation integrated with crystallization (MDC) holds promise for sustainable produced water treatment. Addressing challenges like fouling and wetting, common due to high inorganic content and oil-grease presence, requires efficient pretreatment for stable performance. To establish a compact, manageable treatment solution, we examined a pilot-scale integrated electro-coagulation (EC) - microfiltration (MF) system as pretreatment. This step produced 3600 L daily, significantly improving water quality. A remarkable 40% reduction in total organic carbon, 22-fold decrease in total suspended solids, and 600-fold decrease in turbidity underscore its effectiveness. This enhances the suitability for subsequent membrane distillation. In addition, a significant decrease in fouling and scale formation was observed. Long-term batch and continuous MD tests investigated crystallization between MD cycles that prevents significant flux decline. Implementing continuous MDC increased total water recovery six-fold, with stable membrane performance over six cycles, recovering approximately 10% of feed per cycle. These observations highlight the scalable potential of the less-explored integrated treatment (EC-MF-MDC) for effective produced water treatment. This study suggests the viability of the integrated approach for sustainable, larger-scale produced water treatment. [Display omitted] • Membrane distillation integrated with crystallization shows promise technology. • Pilot-scale EC-MF system yields 3600 L daily, boosting water quality. • 40% carbon reduction, 22-fold TSS decrease, enhanced suitability. • Integrated EC-MF-MDC offers sustainable produced water treatment. • Membrane crystallization enhances the MD performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corrosion behavior of C20 pipeline steel was studied under Fe oxide and sand deposits in oilfield produced water containing sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) via electrochemical techniques and surface analyses. A galvanic current of about 2 μAcm−2 was detected when the Fe oxide deposited sample and the bare steel were coupled in zero resistance ammeter (ZRA) mode, with the former being the anodic member of the couple. The Fe oxide deposited steel recorded severe localized corrosion after 14 days of testing in the SRB inoculated oilfield produced water. Corrosion severity decreased on the sand‐deposited steel, with general corrosion as the dominant morphology of surface attack. The development of product film was a vital factor in steel corrosion under the Fe oxide deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how two okra cultivars (Khenissari and Petra) responded to salinity and Brassinosteroid hormone treatments during a greenhouse season. Plants were exposed to varying levels of salinity in irrigation water (0 to 7.5 dS m-1) and sprayed with different Brassinosteroid concentrations (0 to 1 mg l-1). Higher salinity significantly reduced key nutrients in leaves (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and the potassium/sodium ratio while increasing sodium and chlorine levels. Khenissari generally performed better than Petra, retaining more nutrients and showing lower sodium/chlorine levels. Spraying with Brassinosteroid, particularly at 1 mg l-1, significantly increased nutrient levels (especially potassium) and the potassium/sodium ratio while decreasing sodium and chlorine. Most interactions between salinity and Brassinosteroid treatments significantly affected the studied traits. This research suggests that Brassinosteroid could potentially mitigate the negative effects of salinity on okra plants, particularly the Khenissari cultivar, by improving nutrient uptake and reducing sodium/chlorine accumulation. Further research is needed to optimize the timing and dosage of Brassinosteroid application for optimal salinity tolerance in okra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, there have been significant advancements in the different aspects of produced water (PW) management and disposal. These methods include internal application, surface discharge, subsurface discharge, and beneficial reuse (or external uses). While the petroleum industry is focused on using PW internally, the call for other external applications reverberates in agricultural, chemical, and manufacturing industries. Recently, beneficial reuse has gained momentum as a two-way solution for reusing treated PW instead. It promises to alleviate the use of freshwater, tackle drought, and reduce the amount of PW waste disposed of at the end of the process. Despite those mentioned earlier, the petroleum industry prefers using PW internally or discharging it into the subsurface. There seems to be a missing link between all the previously proposed recommendations about beneficial reuse and the actual execution of the external reuse of PW by the major stakeholders. This work provides a holistic account of the state of knowledge by incorporating the oil and gas perspectives and the challenges responsible for the gap in implementing external uses of PW as proposed as a solution to PW management. Based on life cycle assessment and life cycle cost methods, the challenges related to beneficial reuse are highlighted, and the reason for the hesitancy of the petroleum industry to venture into external solutions is presented. This work proposes progressive recommendations that provide insight into achieving long-term environmental sustainability by exploring external uses of PW and harnessing its merit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification and assessment of plant stress using wetland satellite images is a major task in remote sensing. In this study, one of the largest constructed wetlands (CWs) in the world, located in the Sultanate of Oman, was examined, assessed, and evaluated using remote sensor data from Sentinel-2. This CW system treats produced water generated during oil exploration activities in a desert environment; thus, CW vegetation is subjected to stress induced by oil hydrocarbons and water salinity. This study examined the plant stress and detected changes between the years of 2017 and 2019. Sentinel satellite images were evaluated for vegetation status extraction. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI), and Normalized Difference Salinity Index (NDSI) were used to evaluate the vegetation change. The results showed a comprehensive mapping identification of the plant stress and water flow parameter factors including oil in water contamination (OIW), dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature (WT), and water conductivity (COND). Among the three indices, it was found that the NDVI showed a very good correlation with all parameters in both years with average R2 = 0.78, 0.67, 0.75, and 0.60 for OIW, DO, WT, and COND, respectively. The same trend was found for MSAVI but with R2 = 0.59, 0.48, 0.55, and 0.56 for OIW, DO, WT, and COND, respectively. This shows that the NDVI performed better than the MSAVI in evaluating the water flow parameters. On the other hand, the NDSI showed a strong correlation with one flow parameter, that is, water conductivity, especially at the outlet cells of the CW with R2 = 0.86 and 0.82 for winter time and summer time, respectively. The synchronization and correlation between the water flow parameters and remote sensing vegetation indices in this study lead to a new approach to large-scale landscape wetland monitoring that improves and helps predict any degradation or stress on vegetation growth. Furthermore, the results of this work can help decision makers potentially modify the wetland design and water flow path to improve future expansion phases. The mapping of such a critical and massive industrial CW should consider the use of high spatial resolution sensors where identifications and classifications are further improved. In summary, this research demonstrates that it is feasible to estimate vegetation stress within the constructed wetland using remote sensing techniques across extensive regions when an ample dataset comprising field data, satellite imagery, and supporting information is accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of microorganisms grow in oil reservoirs, where they participate in the biodegradation of oil and lead to changes in oil quality. Today, our knowledge about microbial processes in oil reservoirs is largely limited, and among the urgent tasks for the oil industry, monitoring and controlling microbial activity (including the activity of microbes responsible for biocorrosion) are important. In this work, we aimed to characterize the bacterial community structure of the produced waters from oilfields in the south of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation) using cultural and molecular methods of analysis. Bacteria from produced water samples from various oil wells were enriched, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to assess the phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial communities. Thus, analysis of the bacterial communities revealed the presence of various members within the genera Desulfotomaculum, Clostridium, Acetobacterium, Desulfovibrio, Dethiosulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, Fusibacter, Dethiosulfatibacter, Thermovirga, Sphaerochaeta, and Desulfoplanes, but in different produced water samples. The role of the bacterial associations in biocorrosion was separately assessed in experiments on monitoring and stimulating biocorrosion. The bacterial community receiving additional nutrition was shown to have a higher corrosion potential, and scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed changes in the surface of the metal coupons during immersion testing. The practical value of this research lies in identifying the potential contribution of microbial communities to oil pipeline corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Produced water (PW) is an effluent from the petrochemical industry that has a significant environmental impact due to its high salinity and presence of chemical compounds and heavy metal. Microalgae have been considered promising to phytoremediation of this effluent and producing biomass with high added value. Therefore, this study aimed to stimulate the production of biomass and biomolecules from Chlorella vulgaris by supplementation with PW and evaluate the synergistic effect of sources of physical and chemical stress. C. vulgaris was cultivated in different PW concentations of PW (not autoclaved) and BG11 medium under a 24 h photoperiod, with inoculum pre-adapted the same photoperiod. The culture containing 70% of BG11 and 30% PW (PW 30%) was the most viable, with a biomass production of 1.35 g/L and a higher concentration of carbohydrates (37.46%) and ash (18.21%) than the control culture (100% BG11). Furthermore, PW 30% also resulted in considerable amounts of lipids (9.92%), proteins (21.94%), chlorophyll-a (6.64 μg/mL), chlorophyll-b (10.57 μg/ mL), and carotenoids (21.38 μg/mL). The major fatty acids were C18:3n6 (21.50%), C20:0 (19.96%), C16:0 (17.12%), and C18:0 (12.15%). The PW 30% treatment showed removal efficiencies for iron (61.80%), chlorides (79.64%), phosphates (97.18%), and petroleum hydrocarbons including total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH; 45.39%) and resolved petroleum hydrocarbons (RPH; 57.57%). The analyzed fuel properties presented an ideal profile for the production of biodiesel and bioethanol, which can be obtained from carbohydrates. Simultaneously, treatment PW 30% resulted in the production of biomolecule-rich in biomass in addition to the bioremediation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of fine oil droplets that are difficult to coalesce greatly reduces the oil–water separation efficiency of alkali‒surfactant‒polymer (ASP) flooding-produced water. In order to improve the oil–water separation efficiency and promote the reinjection of ASP-produced water, a novel cationic graft copolymer CDC was obtained by ultrasonically assisted copolymerization of chitosan and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride under the initiation of cerium ions. The copolymer CDC was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TGA and SEM, and it was confirmed that the grafting reaction proceeded successfully. The flocculation effect of copolymer CDC on ASP-produced water (Nan 4–8, pH = 7.83; Sanyuan-6, pH = 9.95) was investigated. Copolymer CDC has better oil removal rate (90.5%) and light transmittance (95.25%) to Nan 4–8 produced water compared with Sanyuan-6-produced water. It has a better oil removal effect when the initial pH of produced water is 6–7 and the temperature is 30 °C. After the addition of CDC, the large-diameter oil droplets in produced water will coalesce and separate. It may be that under weak acid or neutral conditions, the electrostatic attraction of produced water is enhanced, compressing the double electron layer of oil droplets, and destroying the stability of oil droplets. In addition, the hydrophobic effect of –CH=CH2 in CDC molecules increases the hydrophobic association between molecules and increases the probability of oil droplet collision during the flocculation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a technology for capturing man-made CO2 emissions (carbon emissions) and either storing them, hopefully permanently, underground, generally in suitable saline formations or oil and gas fields, or utilizing them by, eg, converting them into commercially viable products. Because global energy demand and carbon emissions will continue to increase until 2050 by almost 50 per cent, CCUS projects (despite a current difficult business case per metric tonne stored or used), if deployed on a large scale, could help the world to limit global warming to 2.0°C, but preferably 1.5°C, as proposed by the Paris Agreement. For economic reasons, without government support, it will be difficult to have the required number and scale of CCUS projects to tackle global warming. The introduction section of this paper explains how, if we accept the urgency of the Paris Agreement's thresholds, there is probably not sufficient time for introducing a global emissions trading scheme (ETS) or a global carbon tax, which are considered the two best approaches to reducing carbon emissions. The CCUS legal/regulatory/fiscal approach section analyses, first, the different legal/regulatory/fiscal approaches to CCUS taken by the US and the EU, secondly, the US federal tax credits available for CCUS projects as of May 2022, and thirdly, the powerful incentive mechanism created when the US CCUS tax credits work together with tax equity partnerships. The US CCUS tax credits and tax treaties section, after some initial literature review of tax incentives and how the US CCUS tax credits can be framed within the panoply of tax incentives, focuses on the first research question, ie, on understanding how the US CCUS tax credits interact in a tax treaty environment. The US CCUS tax credits and the BEPS project section plays a similar role in relation to whether the US CCUS tax credits align well with the requirements of the OECD/G20's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project, which is aimed at reducing tax avoidance and is more recent in its development. The last section concludes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Oilfield Produced Water (OPW) has been identified as a viable solution to mitigate water scarcity in California's Central Valley. However, consumer perception on the use of OPW outside of the oil and gas industry remains unknown and poses a hurdle for large-scale adoption. This paper, based on 134 randomly selected residents of Kern County (California's largest oil-producing county and top agricultural region), examined attitudes towards OPW reuse. In the survey, more than half (52.3%) of participants said that they have heard about oilfield-produced water and other reclaimed waters. Findings also suggest that participants mostly preferred rain and stormwater, and interestingly scored OPW higher than industrial and black waters for irrigation purposes. Around 67% of the participants supported the use of oilfield-produced water for irrigating crops. Younger people (18–29 years) expressed greater concern about using OPW compared to the older residents. Given the drought conditions in Central Valley, policymakers might need to focus on a circular economy and mandate the use of OPW in Central Valley considering that this region's economy lies at the nexus of the O&G and agriculture industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multistage bio-contact oxidation reactor (MBCOR) has been extensively applicated in the oily wastewater treatment. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms, especially the fungal community information during the bioremediation of low-COD and high-salinity oilfield produced water is still poorly understood. In this study, the fungal community succession, and fungi-bacteria interactions of a MBCOR were investigated. The result of Illumina high-throughput sequencing showed that the chemical oxygen demand was the main variable in influencing the community structure within the first tank. Besides, the linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis disclosed the feature fungal taxa at different stages, revealing that the fungal community shift was driven by its functional needs. Additionally, network analysis revealed that fungal and bacterial communities were highly interconnected and possessed cooperative relationships. Furthermore, the equilibrium of fungal-bacterial communities was primarily influenced by species richness and diversity. This study provides a deeper insight into the role of fungi within MBCOR in treating oily wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The petroleum industry produces a large amount of wastewater, known as produced water (PW), during oil production and processing. This PW contains hazardous organic and inorganic components that can harm the environment. Conventional treatment methods have been used to purify PW, but they do not meet environmental regulations, especially when the goal is to reuse the water. Therefore, further research is needed to find an effective technology for managing PW. This review focuses on the characteristics and management of PW originating from oil and gas fields. Firstly, we provide a detailed overview of PW production scenarios worldwide and in the US with detailed quantities and chemical compositions of organic, inorganic, and physicochemical characteristics. Secondly, challenges and environmental concerns associated with treating PW are discussed. Thirdly, all relevant treatment technologies for PW are systematically explored. In addition, this review highlights the management of PW and suggests treatment options and best practices for the industry, and finally, future research needs and opportunities for sustainable water treatment and effective reuse technologies are addressed. Because PW contains a variety of severe contaminants, single methods have not been effective in converting it to a reusable form or fulfilling disposal criteria. As a result, integrated technologies may provide a potential approach that not only meets regulatory standards but also provides chances to employ PW as a non-conventional water supply. Advances in PW management are critical and demand a defined framework and risk-based approach to determine and build the most efficient plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The classical mathematical formulation of the vendor-managed inventory (VMI) model assumes an infinite planning horizon, and consequently, the solution derived ignored the impact of the first cycle. The classical formulation is associated with another implicit assumption that input parameters remain static indefinitely. Methods: This paper develops two mathematical models for VMI for a joint economic lot-sizing (JELS) policy. Each model considers investment in green production, energy used for keeping items in storage, and carbon emissions from production, storage, and transportation activities under the carbon cap-and-trade policy. The first model underlies the first cycle, while the second underlies subsequent cycles. Results: The re-start-up production time for subsequent cycles commences only at the time required to produce and replenish the first lot, which implies further cost reduction. Mathematical formulations are perceived as important both for academics and practitioners. For example, the base model of the first cycle (subsequent cycles) generates an optimal produced quantity with 18.42% (4.35%) less total system cost when compared with the pest scenario in favor of the existing literature. Moreover, such a percentage of total system cost reduction increases as the production rate increases. Further, the proposed models not only produce better results but also offer the opportunity to adjust the input parameters for subsequent cycles, where each cycle is independent from the previous one. Conclusions: The emissions generated by the system are very much related to the demand rate and the amount of investment in green production. Illustrative examples, special cases, model overview, and managerial insights are given. The discussion related to the contribution of the proposed model, the concluding remarks, and further research are also provided. The proposed model rectifies the base model adopted by the existing literature, which can be further extended to be implemented in several interesting further inquiries related to JELS inventory mathematical modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oilfield scaling is a major problem in the oil and gas industry. Scaling issues cost the industry millions of dollars in damage and lost production every year as scaling is one of the main causes of global production decline. In this study, solid scale inhibitors based on silver tungstate loaded KIT-6 were synthesized and evaluated using a static scale inhibition test. The synthesized materials were characterized using wide and low XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, TGA, and FTIR, SEM, and XPS analyses. Small-angle XRD patterns showed that KIT-6 had 3D-mesopore diffraction peaks with a cubic Ia3d space group. Wide-angle XRD patterns of silver tungstate loaded KIT-6 confirmed the crystallinity. The prepared catalysts are characterized by higher surface areas (394–918 m2 g−1), large pore volumes (0.63–0.98 cm3 g−1), narrow pore size distributions (5.3 nm), and high thermal stability up to 1000 °C. The results of this study demonstrate that the inhibition efficiency of the scale inhibitor increases and that of the calcite scale inhibitor decreases with increasing pH (2 to 8). This proposes that the scale inhibitor is more effective under alkaline conditions. An inhibition efficiency of 99% on calcium carbonate can be achieved at an optimal dosage of 7.5 ppm at 55 °C, indicating that the scale inhibitor exhibits a relatively good inhibition performance on calcium carbonate. The use of these materials can potentially lead to more efficient and cost-effective solutions for scale inhibition in various industrial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibiting efficiency of three newly synthesized organic compounds:5-((4'-(dimethylamino)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methylene)-1,3-diethyl-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (HM-1228), 5-((4'-(dimethylamino)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methylene)-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6(1H,5H)-dione (HM-1227) and 5-((4'-(dimethylamino)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)methylene)pyrimidine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (HM-1226) in oilfield produced water on the corrosion of carbon steel has been examined via electrochemical measurements; potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance (EIS) techniques. The adsorption of these compounds on the surface of carbon steel followed Langmuir isotherm. In addition, the surface morphology of uninhibited and inhibited carbon steel was examined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), observing surface improvement when carbon steel samples exposed to the inhibited corrosive solutions. The average surface roughness (Ra) in oilfield produced water solution in the presence of 0.5 mM of HM-1228 inhibitor was 138.28 nm compared to the uninhibited surface 571.62 nm. To explore the corrosion inhibition mechanism, quantum chemical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations were utilized. The HM-1228 inhibitor demonstrated the highest corrosion inhibition efficiency at 94.8% by PDP measurements. The higher corrosion inhibition of compound HM-1228 can be attributed to the presence of di-N-ethyl groups that enhance both electron donating ability and lipophilic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cover the excessive demand of lithium compounds, especially for the manufacture of vehicle batteries, several extraction technologies from natural resources and mainly geothermal brines are applied. These brines are distinguished by the complexity of its chemical composition. So, the quantification of lithium amount by spectroscopic methods will be disturbed by some interferences due to the cohabitation of major cations and anions. The originality of this investigated work is to optimize, by using the response surface methodology, and to validate, by the application of the accuracy profile approach, the analytical method for lithium assay by flame emission spectroscopy. After identification of the major ions in the oilfield brine sample (Ca, Mg, Na, K and Cl), a specificity test is applied, which reveals the presence of chemical interferences. For this reason, a spiked synthetic solution by a lithium standard (20 mg/L) is prepared for each run of the Doehlert design. Four studied factors, which are the major cations ([Ca2+] (X1), [Mg2+] (X2), [Na+] (X3) and [K+] (X4)), are used to build this design and to determine their effects on the lithium recovery yield response (Y(%)). As resulted outcomes, a polynomial valid and predictive model is statistically qualified and used to plot the iso-responses curves of the chosen response. Consequently, the optimal conditions are determined by: [Ca2+] (X1) = 1.7 mol/L, [Mg2+] (X2) = 0.02 mol/L, [Na+] (X3) = 0.36 mol/L and [K+] (X4) = 0.01 mol/L, which correspond to 64.128, 2.43, 60 and 2 g/L, respectively and the theoretical lithium recovery yield is nearby 98% in five-fold diluted composition. Moreover, the validation by the accuracy profile approach is performed after the robustness test. The resulted β-expectation tolerance interval is within the acceptability limits, which means that the analytical method, used for lithium assay by flame emission spectroscopy, is valid and the response variances are almost constant (homoscedasticity) over the predefined range concentration (8-50 mg/L) and it can be used for routine analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm formation can help to mitigate the stress placed on organisms during biological treatment of high-salinity wastewaters, such as "produced water" resulting from oil and gas extraction. This study investigated the implementation of two different biofilm-based biological reactors, activated carbon as an adsorptive biofilm surface (Bio-GAC) and aerobic granular sludge (AGS), and a conventional activated sludge (CAS) reactor for the treatment of synthetic produced water (PW) under hypersaline conditions (85,000 mg/L NaCl). A mixture of benzyl alcohol, o-cresol, and phenol were used as a carbon source with concentrations of 100, 100, and 250 mg/L, respectively. The performance of Bio-GAC was higher than AGS, with overall removal efficiencies for aromatic compounds of 100% and 93%. The presence of catechol in all three reactors during the reaction cycle confirmed that biodegradation was occurring. The performance of CAS was significantly lower in terms of removal efficiency for aromatic compounds (73%) and resilience to high salinity. Scanning electron microscopy showed that biofilm-based biosystems establish stronger biofilm texture. Microbial community analysis showed that carbon source and biosystem type played a crucial role in selecting for microbiome structure. These findings show that biofilm reactors can be used to successfully biodegrade toxic organic contaminants in a high-salinity environment, and that the hybrid Bio-GAC process is particularly promising for treating PW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromate is a potentially carcinogenic disinfection by-product of potential concern in desalinated waters, where bromide derived from seawater can be converted to bromate by the oxidising species used for disinfection. Historically, it has been difficult to maintain complete adherence to national standards of no more than 10 ppb for bromate at all locations served with desalinated seawater by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this full-scale study, the addition of 100–200 ppb of ammonia to the produced water of a Multi-Stage Flash Desalination plant effectively controlled the formation of bromate in the transmission system supplying inland centres in the Makkah Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Arafa, Taif) on a time scale sufficient for the distribution of water to the consumer, even when the bromide content of the produced water was artificially enhanced (up to 132 ppb) via the addition of seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce the environmental impact of offshore oil and gas, the hydrocarbon discharge regulations tend to become more stringent. One way to reduce the oil discharge is to improve the control systems by introducing new oil-in-water (OiW) sensing technologies and advanced control. De-oiling hydrocyclones are commonly used in offshore facilities for produced water treatment (PWT), but obtaining valid control-oriented models of hydrocyclones has proven challenging. Existing control-oriented models are often based on droplet trajectory analysis. While it has been demonstrated that these models can fit steady-state separation efficiency data, the dynamics of these models have either not been validated experimentally or only describe part of the dynamics. In addition to the inlet OiW concentration, they require the droplet size distribution to be measured, which complicates model validation as well as implementation. This work presents an approach to obtain validated nonlinear models of the discharge concentration, separation efficiency, and discharge rate, which do not require the droplet size distribution to be measured. An exhaustive search approach is used to identify control-oriented polynomial-type Hammerstein–Wiener (HW) models of de-oiling hydrocyclones based on concentration measurements from online OiW monitors. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this modeling approach, a PI controller is designed using the Skogestad internal model control (SIMC) tuning rules to control the discharge OiW concentration directly. The identification experiment emulates an offshore PWT system with installed OiW monitors, which is realistic with the legislative incentive to include online OiW discharge measurements. The proposed approach could enable the application of OiW-based control on existing offshore PWT facilities, resulting in improved de-oiling performance and reduced oil discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron is frequently present in wastewater from hydrocarbon production, briefly referred as produced water. Boron at high levels is toxic, especially to plants. It makes challenging produced water reuse. State-of-the-art boron removal processes need specific operations resulting in an increase of water treatment train complexity and cost. Among these, we recall reverse osmosis, adsorption on chelating resins and precipitation softening in presence of magnesium in large excess. Ettringite is a calcium-aluminum sulfate hydroxide, Ca6Al2(SO4)3(OH)12·26H2O, reported as an effective boron adsorbent. The experimentation described in this paper deals to boron removal through precipitation softening in conditions promoting the formation of ettringite. The first-stage-reverse-osmosis permeate from an Italian oil-and-gas site was used as raw water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of organic pollutants and metal ions from produced water by adsorption, using prepared activated carbon (AC) from sewage sludge, with chemical activations using NaOH, KOH and ZnCl2 separately and pyrolysis at different temperatures (500, 600 and 700 °C). Pure sludge and prepared ACs were analyzed using FTIR and XRD. The results showed 18% crystallinity compared to that of commercial AC, which has 44% crystallinity. The results of FTIR demonstrate that the properties of the post-treated affect the final products depending on the method used and that it contains similar functional groups to those present in the commercial AC, but at a higher peak intensity. Adsorption treatments were carried out at 25, 35 and 45 °C solution temperatures. The results showed that the removal of pollutants from produced water using prepared AC with all types of chemical activations reached 99.5%, such as commercial AC with 0.06 g dosage of adsorbent at pyrolysis temperatures of 500 and 600 °C and a solution temperature of 25 °C. The obtained results refer to the mechanism of exothermic reaction and physical adsorption. It was observed that despite the lower dosage of adsorbent of 0.01 g, a sufficient treatment of pollutants was achieved. This reveals the effectiveness of using sewage sludge as a cheap adsorbent. Also, using pure sewage sludge, the adsorption data showed a 95.2% removal of the pollutants. This result indicated that pure sludge has an efficient adsorption capacity and can be utilized as a cheap and environmentally friendly material. For the removal of manganese and cadmium metal ions from the produced water, the resultant data showed that more than 90% of manganese was adsorbed and more than 97% of cadmium was adsorbed, especially when using pure sewage sludge and prepared activated carbon with NaOH chemical activation at pyrolysis temperatures of 500 °C and 600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A capillary electrophoresis‐mass spectrometry method was used to analyze naphthenic acids in produced water samples. It was possible to detect cyclopentanecarboxylic, benzoic, cyclohexanebutyric, 1‐naphthoic, decanoic, 3,5‐dimethyladamantane‐1‐carboxylic, 9‐anthracenecarboxylic, and pentadecanoic acids within ca. 13 min using a buffer composed of 40 mmol/L ammonium hydroxide, 32 mmol/L acetic acid and 20% v/v isopropyl alcohol, pH 8.6. The proposed method showed good repeatability, with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 6.6% for the sum of the peak areas and less than 2% for the analysis time. In the interday analysis, the RSD values for the sum of the peak areas and migration time were 10.3% and 10%, respectively. The developed method demonstrated linear behavior in the concentration range between 5 and 50 mg/L for benzoic, decanoic, 3,5‐dimethyladamantane‐1‐carboxylic and 9‐anthracenecarboxylic acids, and between 10 and 50 mg/L for cyclopentanecarboxylic, cyclohexanebutyric, 1‐ naphthoic, and pentadecanoic acids. The detection limits values ranged from 0.31 to 1.64 mg/L. Six produced water samples were analyzed and it was possible to identify and quantify cyclopentanecarboxylic, benzoic, cyclohexanebutyric, and decanoic acids. The concentrations varied between 4.8 and 98.9 mg/L, proving effective in the application of complex samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The study is aiming to explore the key corrosion bacteria in the production process of shale gas, and analyze the potential succession law of bacteria. Methods The 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing analysis technology was used to sequence the bacterial flora in the fracturing fluid preparation water and produced water of a shale gas platform in Weiyuan area. Results The bacterial structure of fresh water is completely different from that of produced water and recycled flowback fluid, the richness and diversity of bacteria decreased after fracturing. The key corrosive bacteria include Arcobacter, Marinobacterium and Pseudomonas, etc. The bacterial community in the freash water is mainly composed of mesophilic, aerobic bacteria with weak functions such as sulfate reduction and acid production. While in the recycled flowback fluid, there are a large number of bacteria with functions of sulfur metabolism, acid production and biofilm production. After fracturing, in the produced water there are mainly facultative anaerobic, anaerobic or strictly anaerobic bacteria with functions such as sulfate reduction, sulfur reduction, sulfur oxidation, acid production, biofilm production, iron reduction, and some thermophilic bacteria were identified. Conclusion This provides theoretical and technical support for further research on bacterial corrosion of gathering and transportation pipelines and pipeline protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sedge cane is a year-round natural plant that is regarded as one of the most significant grasses on the planet, and it usually causes major disposal concerns. As a result, employing sedge cane as a low-cost adsorbent to remove oil from produced water is helpful from both an economic and environmental standpoint. The response surface methodology is used to investigate the reaction optimization of oil removal using the sedge cane. The tests had three independent variables: adsorbent dosage, contact time, and temperature, as well as one response variable is (oil removal percent). According to the findings, the adsorbent dosage had the biggest impact on the percentage of oil removed. The findings predicted that employing sedge cane with 5 gm/L adsorbent dosage at 40 °C and 60 min contact time, the optimum condition for oil removal would be up to 95%. Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the sedge cane. The results of the Langmuir, Freundlich, Toth, and Sips isotherm models were 0.9967, 0.4166, 0.956, and 0.9062, respectively. Compared to the other models, Langmuir model best characterized the adsorption process. The reaction's kinetics were most accurately characterized by the PFO kinetic equation with 0.9382 for PFO, 0.8147 for PSO, and 0.7888 for the Elovich model. Temperature effects on thermodynamic parameters were investigated. The results of the testing showed that sedge cane is an effective adsorbent for eliminating oil from contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]