SPE Oilfield Water Management Conference and Exhibition

Oil-produced water, often referred to as produced water or effluent-produced water, is by far the largest volume by-product in oil production operations and is considered a major waste stream. The source of the oil-produced water is primarily from formation water produced to surface or recycled water from water injection operations. It has been reported that worldwide average production of oil-produced water was in the range of 210 million barrels per day, or about 77 billion barrels per year, giving an average water-oil ratio of approximately 3 to 1 (10 to 1, in some cases). Water reuse for re-injection is a common practice among many oil production companies, either for reservoir pressure maintenance or for environmental protection. Companies use different types of water for oil production recovery such as water injection or steam injection; in addition, surface facilities required produced water such as brackish water for operational needs. However, managing produced water is an extremely challenging, costly process, and could be economically non-viable option. Optimising produced water management is highly critical, using best-in-class technologies to monitor quality and forecast production, and to design, build, and operate facilities. An executive plenary session will have high-level speakers presenting their company’s full cycle of water management challenges, strategies, solutions, and lessons learnt.