Modular Mechanical Vapor Compression-Membrane Distillation (MVC-MD) for Treatment of High TDS Produced Water
Executive Summary
Technical Challenge
• Complex chemistry of the produced water makes the treatment process more challenging.
• The characteristics of the produced water is highly variable, depending on the geochemistry of the formation and age of the well.
• If not controlled, precipitation and scaling of minerals in the hypersaline produced water can irreversibly impair the membrane and reduce the membrane performance.
• Visualizing the hydrodynamics of the flow in the intensified membrane cells is complicated.
Potential Impact
• Treating produced water for recycle and reuse is an untapped business. The oil & gas industry spends more than $40 billion for the PW treatment and disposal, annually. Less than 10% of PW is recycled or reused, while only 1% is treated.
• Small, modular MD-MVC can be used to treat the produced water at the well site. This technology has the potential to be utilized for near-zero liquid discharge.
Resources
TTU:
• Designing innovative membrane-based separations
• Using the first-principles thermodynamics to estimate the eNRTL parameters for an array of electrolytes present in the hypersaline produced water
• Designing intensified MD stack modules
• Experience with intensifying various chemical processes
• Process-level simulation and energy/entropy analysis
UA:
• Electrocoagulation for treatment of produced water
Gore:
• A worldwide leader in membrane development
Gore supplies the membranes for MD
Apache:
• One of the largest hydraulic fracturing companies in north America –
Apache will facilitate field studies for on-site treatment
Aspen Tech:
• Process simulation software provider
Aspen Tech will provide the software for process simulation and thermodynamics studies