‘The pressure on operators to manage produced water is growing
considerably - and will continue to do so in the future,’ explains
Saif Rahman, Senior Consultant, OTM Consulting Ltd. ‘Our research
from within the operator community itself shows that environmental
and pollution regulation at local, regional or national levels is
the main reason for their interest in the technology and the
principle driver for innovation within the sector. ‘

In addition, the report identifies a range of other new
technologies that can help operators deal successfully with
produced water - including treatment, minimisation, separation and
even re-use. It also examines a wide range of factors including
target and actual site production rates, production chemistry and
reservoir characteristics such as geology that have a major impact
on the way in which produced water is managed.

The report provides detailed forecasts on market opportunities
and growth potential for key produced water treatment equipment and
technologies. In addition, it includes a selection of case studies
that describe actual produced water projects undertaken by
operators - including Chevron’s application of compact flotation
units at its Alba field, and ConocoPhillips’ adoption of condensate
based extraction technology at the Ekofisk field. It also presents
the results of a detailed operator survey carried out amongst
companies including BP, Chevron, Schlumberger, Shell and Total.

‘Produced water is the single largest waste stream from
hydrocarbon production. Daily water production volumes
significantly exceed that of oil volumes, to the extent that 211
million barrels of water are produced by the industry daily
compared to around 85 million barrels of oil. In this context, it
is vital to deal efficiently and cost-effectively with produced
water to ensure fully optimised production and compliance with
national and regional regulations,’ concludes Steve Robertson,
Director at Douglas-Westwood.