U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
Evaluation of the freeze-thaw/evaporation process for the treatment of produced waters. Final report, August 1992--August 1996
Abstract
The use of freeze-crystallization is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a low-cost, energy-efficient method for purifying contaminated water. The natural freezing process can be coupled with natural evaporative processes to treat oil and gas produced waters year round in regions where subfreezing temperatures seasonally occur. The climates typical of Colorado`s San Juan Basin and eastern slope, as well as the oil and gas producing regions of Wyoming, are well suited for application of these processes in combination. Specifically, the objectives of this research are related to the development of a commercially-economic FTE (freeze-thaw/evaporation) process for the treatment and purification of water produced in conjunction with oil and natural gas. The research required for development of this process consists of three tasks: (1) a literature survey and process modeling and economic analysis; (2) laboratory-scale process evaluation; and (3) field demonstration of the process. Results of research conducted for the completion of these three tasks indicate that produced water treatment and disposal costs for commercial application of the process, would be in the range of $0.20 to $0.30/bbl in the Rocky Mountain region. FTE field demonstration results from northwestern New Mexico during the winter of 1995--96 indicate significant and simultaneous removal of salts,more »
- Authors:
-
- Resource Technology Corp., Laramie, WY (United States)
- North Dakota Univ., Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy and Environmental Research Center
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Resource Technology Corp., Laramie, WY (United States); Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy and Environmental Research Center
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 468513
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/MT/92009-17
ON: DE97004824; TRN: AHC29710%%8
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC22-92MT92009
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jun 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 02 PETROLEUM; 03 NATURAL GAS; WASTE WATER; WATER TREATMENT; PROGRESS REPORT; OIL WELLS; NATURAL GAS WELLS; FREEZING; THAWING; EVAPORATION; ENERGY EFFICIENCY; CLIMATES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; ECONOMICS; PERFORMANCE TESTING; FIELD TESTS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA
Citation Formats
Boysen, J E, Walker, K L, Mefford, J L, Kirsch, J R, and Harju, J A. Evaluation of the freeze-thaw/evaporation process for the treatment of produced waters. Final report, August 1992--August 1996. United States: N. p., 1996.
Web. doi:10.2172/468513.
Boysen, J E, Walker, K L, Mefford, J L, Kirsch, J R, & Harju, J A. Evaluation of the freeze-thaw/evaporation process for the treatment of produced waters. Final report, August 1992--August 1996. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/468513
Boysen, J E, Walker, K L, Mefford, J L, Kirsch, J R, and Harju, J A. 1996.
"Evaluation of the freeze-thaw/evaporation process for the treatment of produced waters. Final report, August 1992--August 1996". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/468513. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/468513.
@article{osti_468513,
title = {Evaluation of the freeze-thaw/evaporation process for the treatment of produced waters. Final report, August 1992--August 1996},
author = {Boysen, J E and Walker, K L and Mefford, J L and Kirsch, J R and Harju, J A},
abstractNote = {The use of freeze-crystallization is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a low-cost, energy-efficient method for purifying contaminated water. The natural freezing process can be coupled with natural evaporative processes to treat oil and gas produced waters year round in regions where subfreezing temperatures seasonally occur. The climates typical of Colorado`s San Juan Basin and eastern slope, as well as the oil and gas producing regions of Wyoming, are well suited for application of these processes in combination. Specifically, the objectives of this research are related to the development of a commercially-economic FTE (freeze-thaw/evaporation) process for the treatment and purification of water produced in conjunction with oil and natural gas. The research required for development of this process consists of three tasks: (1) a literature survey and process modeling and economic analysis; (2) laboratory-scale process evaluation; and (3) field demonstration of the process. Results of research conducted for the completion of these three tasks indicate that produced water treatment and disposal costs for commercial application of the process, would be in the range of $0.20 to $0.30/bbl in the Rocky Mountain region. FTE field demonstration results from northwestern New Mexico during the winter of 1995--96 indicate significant and simultaneous removal of salts, metals, and organics from produced water. Despite the unusually warm winter, process yields demonstrate disposal volume reductions on the order of 80% and confirm the potential for economic production of water suitable for various beneficial uses. The total dissolved solids concentrations of the FTE demonstration streams were 11,600 mg/L (feed), 56,900 mg/L (brine), and 940 mg/L (ice melt).},
doi = {10.2172/468513},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/468513},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},
month = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}
}