Water Reduction and Reuse

in the Petroleum Industry

Presented by
Tom Sandy, P.E.
Principal Technologist,
Global Water and Process Practice Director

November 2005
Agenda
Systematic Approach
How Water is Used in the Industry
Water Reuse Opportunities
Water Use in Exploration and Production
Relationship of Water to Energy
Water Reuse Practices and Challenges in
the Industry
Case Studies

2
Systematic Approach
The Systematic Approach

4
Step 1Establish Leadership
and Commitment
Drivers
Stakeholders
The business case
Leadership, goals, and
accountability
Establishing commitment

5
Step 2Frame the Problem
Set boundary limits
Conduct a baseline materials balance
Gather and summarize data
Perform materials accounting

The resulting list depends on extent and

complexity of the boundary limits.

6
Step 3Develop Alternatives
Develop objectives
Identify opportunities for water reuse
Reviewing baseline water and material balance
Benchmarking
Using industry-standard water management strategies
Reviewing available water / wastewater treatment
technologies
Using process analysis tools, including process
simulation tools and process integration approaches

Generate alternatives
Refine alternatives
7
 Step 4Select a
Course of Action
Major areas of concern:
- Business/production plan

- Prioritization of alternatives
- Optimization of solutions across objectives
- Consensus-building
- Project delivery analyses

8
Step 5Implement the
Course of Action
Planning
Conceptual design
Design and cost estimating
Construction
Startup and operation
Monitoring and documentation

9
Step 6Review and Update
An ongoing processnot a single
project
Goals too costly to achieve in one phase
Economic drivers not yet strong enough
Iterative approachperiodic
management review process

10
How Water is Used in the
Industry
 Typical Water Uses in Refineries
~65-90 gallons used per 11%
barrel of crude (Energetics, 1998) Fire Water/
Construction 20%
Water Boiler Feed
Main areas of water use Water

Steam production 10%

Water for
Cooling service 48% Process Units

Removal of water-soluble Cooling Tower

Makeup 5%
inorganic compounds
Backwashes
6%
Two types of water use and Rinses

Consumptive: evaporative losses Potable Water

Return flow: wastewater

Major water uses at a large refinery
and petrochemical complex.
(source: confidential CH2M HILL project)

12
 Flow of water through a typical North American refinery that
uses a closed circuit cooling water system

Blowdown

BFW Stream System

Plant

Water
Supply Utility Water
Raw Process Units
WWTP
Water
Discharge
Treatment Cooling System

Evaporative & Blowdown

Drift Losses

Reject / Blowdown

13
Return Flow: Contact Water
Crude Desalter Extracts water-soluble
inorganics from crude
Quench Water Dramatically reduces
temperature to aid reactions
Alkylation Wastewater Used for KOH to
extract hydrofluoric acid catalyst
Steam Distillation Various cracking unit
operations for hydrocarbon separation
Cooling Water Leaks Various heat
exchangers
14
Return Flow: Non-Contact Water
Once-Through Cooling Water
Possible leaks
Temperature issues
Potable and Sanitary Systems
Aids in Production Process or Serves
Utility Function (e.g. heating or
cooling)

15
Wastewater Generation by
Refinery Unit
Process Process WW Flow (Gallon/BBL of Oil)
Crude Distillation (Atmospheric & Vacuum) 26.0
Fluid Catalytic Cracking 15.0
Catalytic Reforming 6.0
Alkylation 2.6
Crude Oil Desalting 2.1
Visbreaking 2.0
Catalytic Hydrocracking 2.0
Coking 1.0
Isomerization 1.0
Ethers Manufacture Pretreatment wash water (recycled)
Catalytic Hydrotreating 1.0
Sweetening/Merox Process Little or no wastewater generated
Sulfur Removal/Claus Process Process wastewater
Lubricating Oil Manufacture (de-asphalting, Steam stripping
solvent extraction, de-waxing)
Source: Energetics, 1998, Industrial Water Use and its Energy Implications

16
Water Reuse Opportunities
Water Reuse: Steam Systems
Highest water quality requirements =
smallest reuse in refineries
Heat transfer fluid reused as much as economically
feasible
Boiler blowdown return to feedwater supply, or discharge
as cooling tower makeup, as much as economically feasible
Non-contact steam condensate boiler feedwater use
high pressure boiler blowdown for medium to low pressure
boilers
Contaminated steam condensate crude desalting,
alkylation, etc.
Remote dispersed heating no condensate return to
atmosphere
Unneeded/unusable steam vented to atmosphere

18
Water Reuse: Cooling Systems
Evaporative losses =
largest consumptive use in refineries
Treatment to prevent: corrosion, scale deposition,
biological fouling, solids deposition
Blowdown to limit buildup of dissolved species or
control cycles of concentration
Boiler blowdown, treated wastewater, and
stormwater runoff are great candidates for cooling
tower makeup
Depending upon cycles may be used for some
process operations with low water quality
requirements

19
Water Reuse: Process Operations
Oily condensate desalting
washwater
Phenolic compounds from stripped
sour water returned to crude
stripped sour water returned for
desalting washwater and/or alkylation
water

20
Water Use in Exploration
and Production
Water Use in Exploration/Production
Use negligible except in Enhanced
Oil Recovery (EOR)
Waterflood
Steamflood

22
Waterflood
Must remove suspended solids &
oxygen; must disinfect rigorously
Major opportunity for reuse
Treated municipal effluent
Brackish non-potable groundwater
Seawater
High TDS wastewater
Biggest barrier: proximity to source

23
Steamflood
Injects high-pressure steam to produce
heavy crude (API 15 or lower) by heating
reservoir rock and oil
Reuses water as steam for re-injection
May use treated municipal wastewater or
brackish water
May use once-through boilers tolerate high
TDS and dissolved silica
Disposes waste into brackish aquifer or
depleted oil reservoir
24
Relationship of Water to
Energy
Water-Energy Relationship
Steam Generation, Distribution & Use
Transfers heat to various energy users
Losses occur through:
Water/steam leaks and steam vents
Deliberate discharge of contaminated condensate
Non-economically feasible condensate
Losses influenced by:
System size
Quality of water sources & treatment processes
Cost of energy
Facility age
Steam Loss = Clean Water to Environment

26
Water Reuse Practices and
Challenges in the Industry
 Rel ative Importanc e to Dec is ion to Im pl eme nt W ate r Reus e

-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
Sy nergis tic utility efficienc ies

Cos t of raw water

Cos t of wastewater disposal

Value of recovered m aterials

Drivers

Time to mark et

Financial incentives

Regulator y collaboration

Public im age

Environm ental regulations

Motivator
Industry benc hm arking

Water r es ource limitations

Rec eiving water quality

Diffic ult to meet discharge stds

Water r ights iss ues

Waste dispos al is sues

Pr oduct quality conc erns

Pr ice competition
Example Forcefield Diagram of Water Reuse Motivators

Capital c onstraints/ROI requir em ents

implement
implement
Increasing

Decreasing

water reuse
motivator to
water reuse
motivator to

28
A Balance Provides Lowest
Life Cycle Cost
Increasing costs

1 = Zero
0 = Zero Water Water
Recycle/Reuse Discharge

0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1

Increasing water reuse

29
 Water Reuse Practices and
Challenges in the Industry

Consumption Water Higher

of Raw Water Management Water
and Planning Utilization
Discharge to Strategies Efficiencies
Environment

30
Strategies to Tighten the Water
Balance
Higher level of internal treatment / reuse of
wastewater
Design of cooling towers to increase
sensible heat transfer/reduce evaporative
losses
Treatment of cooling water makeup or
sidestream to minimize amount of
blowdown required
Increased use of wastewater from external
sources for water supply
31
Refinery Case Study
Case Study: Refinery Expansion
Originally built in 1950s
Located near major river &
1,000,000+ city
Modified recently to:
Accept higher API gravity feedstock
Reduce sulfur in gas & diesel
Expand overall capacity

Photo source: Wikipedia. Representative only of a typical facility.

33
Objectives of the Revised Water
Management Plan
Achieve low-cost, reliable, safe operation
Remain within existing water withdrawal
licensed volume
Remain within existing subsurface injection
well capacity
Be able to obtain wastewater discharge
permit

34
Strategies to Minimize River Water Use
& Deepwell Disposal
Demineralization of all boiler feedwater via
RO system
Softening of RO reject stream from boiler
feedwater
Deepwell disposal for high TDS wastewater
only
Major upgrade of refinery WWT system
Low Velocity Vortex Separator
Tertiary Media Filtration
Reuse of effluent as cooling tower makeup
water

35
 Typical Refinery: Before Upgrade

Water flow of typical North American refinery using a closed

circuit cooling water system. All flows in US Gallons Per Minute (USGPM)
64 Blowdown

765
BFW
BFW Steam
Steam System
System
Plant
Plant
Water
Supply 113 Utility Water
2,016 Raw
Process
Process 322 568
Raw WWTP
WWTP
Water
Water Units
Units
Discharge
Treatment
Treatment 1,138
Cooling
Cooling System
System to Surface

508 Discharge
975 to Deepwell

163 Blowdown
Evaporative
& Drift

36
 Typical Refinery: After Expansion
All flows in USGPM.
28
88 Blowdown

1,649
Steam
Steam System
System

BFW
BFW 919
Plant
Plant 437
Treatment
Treatment
Process
Process Units
Units WWTP
WWTP 259

Utility Water Discharge

76
to Surface
Raw
Raw 579
Water
Water Cooling
Cooling System
System
2,801
Treatment
Treatment

1,494 776 Water Reuse

Evaporative 151
& Drift Blowdown 299 Discharge
32 to Deepwell

37
Case Study Results

Significant increase in plant capacity

Change of product mix
Minimized total water use
Reduction of surface water discharge

38
Water Treatment and Reuse in Steam
Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD)
Bitumen Exploration Case Study
Where and What
Alberta, Canada has the second largest oil reserves
after Saudi Arabia
The oil is in the form of bitumen
The bitumen is combined with sand (hence tarsands)
and is found in limited quantities at the surface
Most bitumen needs to be
mined by subsurface
mining

40
Recovery Techniques
Two methods are used for the recovery of
crude bitumen from oil sands deposits.
In the shallow deposits (less than 75m from surface
to the top of the oil sands formation): truck-and-
shovel mining followed by water-based extraction
process
In the deeper deposits (greater than 75m from
surface to the top of the oil sands formation),
bitumen is separated from the sand in situ (in
place) and is pumped to the surface through wells.
Most in situ recovery is achieved by injecting steam
into the oil sands formation to heat the bitumen,
reduce its viscosity, and bring it to the surface.

41
Companies and Recovery Method

42
Scale of Surface Mining

43
Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage
(SAGD)
SAGD involves drilling two parallel horizontal
wells, generally between 2,300 and 3,300 feet
in length with about 16 feet of vertical
separation. Steam is injected into the
shallower well, where it heats the bitumen that
then flows by gravity to the deeper producing
well.

44
Plant Size
25,000 barrels of bitumen per day.
Typical steam to oil ratio: 2.4 to 1
meaning 2.4 barrels of water are injected
(and come back with about 10% loss) for
every barrel of oil.
Produced water flow rate:
25,000 x 2.4 x 42 = 2.5 MGD

45
SAGD Site Aerial View

46
Process Variations
Common Treatment:
Bitumen-water separation
Water treatment steam generation
Variations
Diluent use in bitumen-water separation
Contaminant (TDS, silica, organics) removal
Disposal (deep well or Zero Liquid
Discharge [ZLD])

47
Water Availability and
Disposal Options
Water is scarce in the region (arid)
Usable groundwater quantities limited
Alberta discharge regulations very strict
Result: Necessity of maximizing reuse
Majority of the water reused as once
through steam generator boiler feed
water (BFW).

48
OTSG Boiler Feed Water
Specs
Major BFW Parameters
Total Dissolved Solids: 8,000 10,000
ppm
Silica : < 50 ppm
Hardness : < 1 ppm as CaCO3
Oil : < 5 ppm (measured as Total
Petroleum Hydrocarbon)

49
 Produced Water and Boiler
Blowdown Composition
Parameter Produced Boiler
Water Blowdown
TDS 1,000 5,000 25,000 50,000
ppm ppm
Silica 300 400 ppm 150 200 ppm

Hardness < 50 ppm < 4 ppm

(as CaCO3)
Oil 20 100 ppm < 20 ppm
(measured as
TPH)
50
Treatment Requirements
Produced Water: Silica Removal
Options
Warm or Hot lime softening (Magnesium
treatment)
Evaporation
Boiler Blowdown: Partial Disposal
Options
Disposal well
Evaporator Brine Crystallizer

51
Warm Lime Softener, Boiler Feed Water, Low
Pressure Blowdown Samples

Warm Lime Boiler Feed Low Pressure

Softener Rapid Water Blowdown
Mix Zone
52
Flow Schematic 1
No Diluent, Softening, ZLD

Blowdown Cogen Bitumen Product

Steam

WACs Steamgen
Flashtreater
HTS
Wells Make-
up
Afterfilters Chemistry Surge water
Tank
Z Chemistry
Warm Lime Softener
L DGF
D Chemistry MonoSep
Centrifuge

De-Oiled Oil Removal

Filters
Water Tank
Sludge to landfill for disposal

53
Flow Schematic 2
Diluent, Softening, Disposal Well

Blowdown

Ponds Steamgens
Diluent Bitumen
Steam
WACs Treaters
Free Water
Wells
Make- Knock Out
Chemistry Skim
up Afterfilters Chemistry
water Tank

Warm Lime Softener

ISF
Centrifuge Sludge
Chemistry

Produced Oil Removal

Filters
Disposal Water Storage
well Tank

54
Flow Schematic 3
Evaporators and Disposal Well

Blowdown

Steamgens
Disposal Diluent Bitumen
Well Steam
Free
Water Treaters
Disposal Knock
Water
Wells
Out
Treatment Chemistry Skim
Chemistry
Tank

Evaporators
ISF

Chemistry

55
Challenges
Operation of a system with large number
of interactive processes
Performance of bitumenwater
separation
Heat exchanger fouling
Warm lime softener performance in the
presence of organics
Maintaining salt removal capability (ZLD
and disposal well)

56