Emerging Technologies for CBM Produced Water Treatment and Disposal

Authors: John and Deidre Boysen, BC Technologies Ltd.

Venue: Hyatt Regency Tech Center, Denver, CO, March 30, 2009. The National Academies has been asked by the US Bureau of Land Management to conduct a congressionally mandated study on management and effects of coalbed methane (CBM) development and produced water in the Western United States. This meeting, scheduled for March 30-31, is the second in a series of public forums on the topic. http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/meetingview.aspx?key=48996&MeetingId=3327 [external site]

Abstract: Most CBM produced water is different from that which is produced in the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming. It varies throughout the western states in terms of water quality and volumes produced during dewatering and production of the coal seam. Because CBM produced water does vary, there is no “one-size fits all” technology solution for water treatment. Producers must familiarize themselves with the technologies that are commercially available or “on the horizon” and determine how those technologies would best fit the disposal/re-use options that are permitted in the state where the production is occurring. Choosing the “best fit” water treatment technology can be a very complex process due to the number of factors to be considered. The financial bottom line is always high on a production manager’s list, but transportation costs, treatment and disposal options and costs, local and state regulations, and the need for, or interest in, re-using the water (as well as cost savings associated with beneficially re-using the water) must be considered. The quality of the produced water will affect the selection of a technology solution. Many CBM waters are loaded with high concentrations of constituents such as salt, chloride, and iron. These must be removed or reduced to prepare the water for many of the treatment/disposal options that are currently available, and some technologies work better (more cost effectively) than others to remove specific constituents. The volume of produced water to be treated must also be anticipated and matched with an appropriate technology. For example, high volumes of relatively pure water requiring little treatment will require one strategy, whereas low volumes of very contaminated water will require a completely different solution. Many technologies are “niche” technologies and are most suitable for specific uses under specific operational conditions. his presentation identifies a wide variety of commercially available produced water treatment technologies, as well as some that on the horizon—such as the gas hydrate produced water treatment technology currently being developed with support from the Department of Energy. Capabilities and costs are described where information is publicly available.

Related NETL Project
This presentation is related to the NETL project DE-FC26-05NT15551, “Coalbed Natural Gas Produced Water Treatment Using Gas Hydrate Formation at the Wellhead.” The overall goals of the project are to develop a technically feasible, environmentally benign, and cost-effective process for coalbed natural gas produced water treatment at the wellhead and to transfer this gas hydrate technology to the energy industry expeditiously.

NETL Project Contacts
NETL – Sandra McSurdy (sandra.mcsurdy@netl.doe.gov or 412-386-4533)
BC Tech – John Boysen (bct01@aol.com or 307-742-5651)