Solid Contaminant Filtration of Water for Oil and Gas Industry Processes

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Extraction Water and Process / Cooling Water

The global energy demand is projected to grow significantly for the next 25 years or more! The US is a major oil and gas producer; and the oil and gas industry is tremendously important to the US economy.

Water is critical to oil and gas production. Water is required for several stages of the hydrocarbon extraction process.

Water is used to:

Cool and lubricate drill bits,
Transport rock cuttings to the surface,
Drive the hydrocarbons to the surface,
Cool the process, and
Generate steam for hydrocarbon extraction.

The oil and gas industry is beginning to recognize the need to increase investment in water treatment. Global oil and gas production uses over 20 billion gallons of water per day! Effective and innovative water management is vital to the longevity, productivity and profitability of a well. A single well requires millions (up to 15 million) of gallons of water for these purposes. This water must be filtered to remove suspended solids!

Ideally, you want a positive barrier that will capture and remove particles large and small, and light and heavy. You also want to minimize maintenance and labor which would make bag and cartridge filtration a poor choice. The Zero Gravity Filters permanent media Spring Filter is a coil wound with a variable pitch that allows the filter element to open evenly from top to bottom ensuring that all contaminants are completely cleaned off the filter element with every backwash. The ZGF Spring Filter is manufactured with precision raised nidges. These nidges create an absolute gap that allow the Spring Filter to capture > 99% of spherical particles larger than the micron rating of the filter.

ZGF Spring Filter technology is the ideal choice to remove suspended solids from water that is used in the hydrocarbon extraction process, as well as for other oil field process requirements.

Cooling / Process Water

Several well site processes require cooling. The source for the cooling / process water can be from a lake, reservoir, river, well, or from recycled flowback / produced water. In most cases, the water requires filtration.

Effective removal of suspended solids and particulate matter from process cooling water is critical. Implementation of proper filtration will reduce maintenance costs, improve heat transfer efficiency and save energy. ZGF filtration technology provides an effective, efficient and environmentally responsible solution that can help optimize lifecycle costs and minimize the environmental footprint associated with process cooling, a critical aspect of the hydrocarbon extraction process.

To learn more about how filtration impacts the cost of process cooling equipment and infrastructure, download the Powerpoint presentation Impact of Filtration on Process Cooling Water Systems.

ZGF Spring Filter technology effectively and efficiently captures and removes the contaminants from the water that is used for hydrocarbon extraction and well site process / cooling water. ZGF technology is:

fully automatic
consistent & reliable
non-disposable
energy efficient – utilizing a minimal amount of electricity and air during backwash cycle
environmentally responsible – using <0.75 % of total water volume for backwash
able to remove particles down to 20 micron

To get a better understanding on where ZGF Spring Filter technology can provide value in your oil field operations, download the following process diagrams.

Flowback Water / Produced Water

Each barrel of crude oil generates up to 10 barrels of flowback / produced water. The flowback / produced water can be up to 60% of the water used in the hydrocarbon extraction process. The US oil and gas industry annually generates over 20 billion barrels (840 billion gallons) of flowback / produced water. Produced water requires disposal or reuse. Whether disposed or reused, this water must be filtered: and in most cases additional treatment is also required. The treatment of this water is a significant cost component of oil and gas production. The flowback / produced water is high in total dissolved solids and suspended solids. It is a murky, highly corrosive brine.

Disposal – The brine can be treated and discharged or injected into a deep well. If treated for discharge, the water may require pre-filtration prior to chemical coagulation and/or polishing filtration after clarification. If injected into a deep well, this brine must be filtered prior to re-injection to prevent perforation plugging, formation invasion, narrowing of the well bore and well bore fill up.

Reuse – Water is a finite resource, and it can be scarce in some oil and gas generating regions. Regulations may also limit the volume of fresh water available for hydrocarbon extraction. For these reasons, the investment in state-of-the-art treatment technologies for the reuse of the flowback / produced water is a growing trend. These brines are extremely high in suspended solids. Regardless of the intended reuse of this water, filtration is required! The level of filtration and the number of stages is dependent upon other treatment technologies employed and the intended reuse.

When the suspended solids loading is high and when there is a significant amount of sand, centrifugal separators can be part of an overall solution. Centrifugal separators are effective at reducing the solids loading, specifically the medium to large sized suspended solids and sand particles (50 - 75 microns, and larger). The ZGF Tornado separator is the future of centrifugal separation technology. The innovative separator utilizes an internal blade design. The blades create a unique and beneficial flow path through the separator that increases the “G – Force”, resulting in more effective and efficient particle removal.

The Tornado is a simple but extremely innovative device. The Tornado has no moving parts and no media. Tornado effectively removes particles without any regular maintenance. To see the Tornado separator in operation, click Tornado animation. (Videos & Animations => zgf_tornado_animation) The animation shows how the patented blade design results in increased particle velocity and higher applied “G-forces”. As the fluid spins through the length of the separator, the particles are forced to the outer wall to the low velocity solids collection zone at the bottom of the separator. The clean fluid is directed back up and into “clean zone slots” and out the top of the separator.

Effective removal of the smaller and lighter suspended solids from is also extremely critical. Ideally, you want a positive barrier that will capture and remove particles large and small, and light and heavy. You also want to minimize maintenance and labor which would make bag and cartridge filtration a poor choice. The Zero Gravity Filters permanent media Spring Filter is a coil wound with a variable pitch that allows the filter element to open evenly from top to bottom ensuring that all contaminants are completely cleaned off the filter element with every backwash. The ZGF Spring Filter is manufactured with precision raised nidges. These nidges create an absolute gap that allow the Spring Filter to capture > 99% of spherical particles larger than the micron rating of the filter.

ZGF Spring Filter technology effectively and efficiently captures and removes the suspended solids from flowback / produced water.

ZGF technology is:

fully automatic – the self-cleaning process is initiated based on pressure differential, and is accomplished in seconds without interrupting flow to the process
consistent & reliable
non-disposable
energy efficient – operates on line pressure, utilizing a minimal amount of electricity and air during backwash
environmentally responsible – uses <0.75 % of total water volume for backwash
able to remove particles down to 20 micron

To get a better understanding on where ZGF Spring Filter technology can provide value in your oil field operations, download the Process Diagram, Oil & Gas Field or Process Diagram, Oil & Gas Field – Deep Well Injection.

The cost of using disposable bag and cartridge filters can add up quickly!

Costs include:

Purchasing bags and cartridges
Disposing of bags and cartridges
Changing bags and cartridges
Shipping, handling and warehousing
Issuing purchase orders and processing invoices

If true life-cycle costs are considered, the payback on ZGF technology can be realized in as short as 1 month; and typically, the payback is less than 1 year. ZGF can work with you to estimate your savings by implementing ZGF technology.

ZGF Spring Filter and Tornado technologies are ideal choices to remove suspended solids from flowback / process water whether the water is ultimately reused or injected into a deep well.

Refinery – Protect Sensitive Equipment

Refineries use analytic equipment to analyze gasoline and other products. This sensitive laboratory equipment requires filtration of the fluid. If suspended solids are introduced to the analyzer, the equipment could be damaged, and/or the results could be inconsistent.

Typically, disposable cartridges are used. Disposable cartridges are costly and labor intensive. These costs include the cartridge, the labor to replace the cartridge, and the increasing cost of disposal. Zero Gravity Filters has an automatic alternative to the costly process of maintaining the cartridges. The Zero Gravity Filters permanent media Spring Filter element is a coil wound with a variable pitch that allows the filter element to open evenly from top to bottom ensuring that all contaminants are completely cleaned off the filter element with every backwash. The ZGF Spring Filter is manufactured with precision raised nidges. These nidges create an absolute gap that allow the Spring Filter to capture > 99% of spherical particles larger than the micron rating of the filter.

ZGF Spring Filter technology effectively and efficiently captures and removes the contaminants from refinery products.

ZGF technology is:

fully automatic – the self-cleaning process is initiated based on pressure differential, and accomplished in seconds without interrupting flow to the process
consistent & reliable
non-disposable
energy efficient – utilizing a minimal amount of electricity and air during backwash cycle
environmentally responsible – using <0.75 % of total water volume for backwash
able to remove particles down to 20 micron

ZGF Spring Filter technology is the ideal choice to remove suspended solids from refinery products prior to testing / analysis with sensitive laboratory equipment.

If you want to learn more about ZGF EZ Clean technology, then click on one of the links to download the:

View the Spring Filter video to see how all the contaminants are removed from the Spring Filter during backwash when the filter element opens and shimmers.

The Tornado is a simple but extremely innovative device. The Tornado has no moving parts and no media. Tornado effectively removes particles without any regular maintenance. If you want to learn more about ZGF Tornado technology, then download the Tornado Product Data Sheet or click on the Tornado animation link to view the Tornado separator in operation.

ZGF technology provides value to the Oil & Gas Industry in the O & G fields, at injection well sites and in the refineries

ZGF technology is:

fully automatic
consistent & reliable
non-disposable
energy efficient - utilizing a minimal amount of electricity and air during purge/backwash
able to remove ferrous particles down to 1 micron and non-ferrous particles down to 20 micron
able to provide value throughout the mill and help optimize each process by effective and efficient contaminant capture and removal

ZGF fully automatic, permanent media filtration technology offers many operational, maintenance and total operating cost benefits compared to bag, cartridge and media bed filters. As Oil & Gas Industry experts continue to implement our technology and realize the exceptional value, some organizations have shared their success stories.

Click on Success Stories to jump to the Success Stories / Case Studies page to learn how ZGF technology provides value.

Click on the links below to learn how ZGF customers were able to reduce operating costs, improve process reliability and quality, and reduce the environmental footprint of their operations by implementing ZGF technology.

Deep Well Injection Company Saves Over $300K Annually.

Spring Filter Protects Sensitive Equipment – Provides Better Filtration, Lowers Operating Costs & Requires Less Maintenance

Simplicity, consistency, reliability and the lowest cost of ownership makes ZGF water filtration technology the best solution and value for your hydrocarbon extraction and well site process water and cooling water needs. ZGF technology is also ideal for removal of suspended solids from your flowback water, produced water and water / brine for deep well injection.

ZGF is your preferred partner.

Filtration should not be a burden.

Filtration should be a tool that improves quality and reduces cost.

Let us help you meet your objectives and make your job easier!

ZGF has the experience and dedication to customer satisfaction that you are looking for. Contact us or request a quote today.