Desalination is the crux of freshwater producing plants but the process of reverse osmosis that acts as the crucial part of such plants has far more applications than just producing drinking water. Many industries such as the Oil and Gas Industry itself uses water for several reasons. Water is used in onshore as well as offshore production zones of the industry. Water during such endeavors is naturally taken from the seas due to abundance. However, the water is salty and therefore it’s applications are reduced by ten folds.
When it comes to water, the industry requires technologies that are advanced and have engineering and design proficiencies. They also must have project management expertise to control costs, minimize risks, ensure safety, maximize performance, lower water consumption and meet all the safety and environment regulations. Here is how reverse osmosis comes to the rescue.
ONSHORE:
Despite the method used for extracting oil, water is always a by-product that comes with it. Usually before the big oil companies discharged it back to the wells as it is the single largest waste stream in the industry. It is also said to increase recovery.
But today, many companies understand the need of treating and reusing the water before discharging it. This treatment is known as produced water treatment and requires a hefty process like reverse osmosis to be treated. RO procedure ensures that the water thereby produced is without any oil and major pollutants and can be safely released back into the wells. This procedure is more because of the stricter environmental guidelines but today are followed by every company.
OFFSHORE:
Just as onshore oil production required RO for water production treatment, so does offshore. However, the number of applications for RO in this kind of oil production is far more.
- Water is required to be treated before being sent off and discharged into the oceans. Before this was scarcely an issue but with several environmental concerns, strict regulations require the water to be treated for the brine.
- Wastewater treatment is another most important task at hand for offshore oil production companies. Because the sewage and waste material produced by the employee base in a period of months is huge, it is important to cut down carbon footprint and allow water within safety standards to be discharged in the oceans.
- The huge labor base at the oil rigs requires drinking water for consumption. RO sees to it that the desalinating machines use Seawater to produce freshwater fit for consumption.
- Water is also extensively used for cleaning and washing purposes. Water is majorly also required for cleaning the heavy equipment of any sludge or remnant contaminants. RO water is helpful in cleaning up of machines for smooth operation.
Heavy duty machines that operate on reverse osmosis like Ampac USA’s Off-Shore Sea Water Desalination Watermaker SW20K-Class1-Div2 are a support to the Oil and Gas Industry that help them carry out their operations smoothly while meeting environmental standards at the same time. Seawater Desalination Watermaker Land Based 6,000 GPD/ 22,710 LPD | SW6000-LX and many other machines from Ampac USA are used extensively by Oil and Gas companies for water production in their onshore and offshore rigs.
About Author:
Ampac USA is a manufacturer of water treatment systems used around the globe for quality drinking water. The company has an experience of over 40 years, uses the latest technology to provide a standard, reliable product and works with experts to give the best possible service.
