Analysis of Desalination Processes for Treatment of Produced Water for Re-use as Irrigation Water

Abstract

Produced water is a major side product of onshore oil and gas production. This water contains a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds and requires treatment for beneficial reuse. One option for the reuse of this water is irrigation. Treatment options in desalination plants include chemical, physical, and biological methods to create water for consumption and use. This research project defines the contaminants found in produced water and develops two oilfield water hypothetical cases. A literature review describes the definition, model, and cost of the following water treatment technologies: reverse osmosis, ion-exchange, and thermal treatment methods. The analysis evaluates the suitability and performance of each process. For both oilfield cases, the thermal treatment methods performed the best in meeting the requirements for irrigation water.