Hydrofacturing with 100% recycled water is very desirable in highly sensitive clay formations to mitigate swelling and production impairment. Recycling of produced water can also save operators thousands of dollars per well in fresh water, Trucking, and disposal costs. Yet one obstacle to reuse for many produced waters in the Permian Basin is high hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentrations.
With typical H2S treatments, such as scavengers, chemical and biological oxidation, the cost/bbl is prohibitive on produced water and high H2S levels. A new, more economical H2S remediation techniques addresses such challenges safely and economically. The water is then clarified, creating a low total suspended solids (TSS) solution ready for hydrofractuing.
This paper discusses the treatment of 22,000 bbl of high H2S produced water used in the successful completion of an 8-stage continuous slickwater frac in the Ramsey Formation, of the Black River South Field, in Eddy County, NM.