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Produced Water Salt Water Disposal Solution

Produced Water is a very salty byproduct of oil and gas production. The ratio of Produced Water to oil increases as the oil well ages and continues to do so for the life of the well. After separating the oil from the produced water, the water still contains small residual amounts of oil. The common practice of further separating that residual free oil from the water is through Oil-Water Separators or what is commonly referred to in the industry as a "Gunbarrel."

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ITS-1500 mobile frac water recycling system
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Produced-water disposal and recycling

Produced water is commonly disposed of by pumping it into salt-water disposal wells. Recycling it for new oil and gas fracking operations offers an alternative to disposal.

A single fracking operation can use more than 500,000 barrels of water over ten days, or roughly 21 million gallons per well. The water footprint of hydraulic fracturing has increased substantially, increasing concern about fresh-water use in arid and water-stressed regions.

An alternative: the Integrated Treatment System

The Ecologix Integrated Treatment System (ITS-1500) is capable of treating 51,400 barrels per day. Its mobility, processing volume, and effluent quality provide options for slick-water fluid fracturing, cross-linked fluid fracturing, or salt-water disposal.

The ITS-1500 (1,500 GPM or 51,400 BBL/day) is a mobile system designed to treat produced water containing suspended solids, oil, dissolved metals, hydrogen sulfide, and other pollutants. Chemical treatment neutralizes and gathers contaminants, then the system separates the sludge to produce effluent suitable for recycling into a new frac well.

Salt-water treatment and disposal considerations

Produced water contains hydrocarbons, salts, and scale-forming materials. Its high salinity makes treatment to fresh-water standards technically challenging, so it is often disposed of in deep salt-water disposal wells.

Reusing treated produced water to frac a new well can reduce transport and hauling costs and preserve fresh water. Removing suspended solids is important because solids can plug shale fractures and reduce well output. With existing disposal wells, oil and solids removal can improve permeability, increase disposal volumes, and reduce well-pressure buildup.

As salt-water disposal wells receive increasing environmental scrutiny, treatment and reuse alternatives can address operational, economic, and environmental considerations.