The Treatment and Disposal of Produced Water from Onshore Oilfields

As the worldwide demand for crude oil and gas increases and the oilfields age, the annual production of produced water is rising dramatically. Environmental restrictions on the disposal of this waste water have become more stringent in recent years with the result that disposal costs are also raising rapidly. This paper examines the various options for the treatment of this produced water prior to its disposal together with the possible consequences of getting it wrong, such as corrosion and scaling of process piping and equipment, together with fouling of the oilfield rock formation and disposal wells.