Paper: Enhance Produced Water Management With Oil-In-Water Monitoring Systems

Texaco E & P Technology Dept., under the supervision of Dr. Dale Brost, has developed Oil-in-Water (OIW) Monitoring Systems. This five year project was initiated to provide an on-line monitoring system that would be instrumental in providing clean water to address the environmental issue, reduce chemical costs in water treating systems, provide recorded water monitoring every second of every day, and set off alarms. Based on this research, the EOA (Environmental Oil Alert) OIW monitor, (fluorescence method) was developed through joint efforts by Texaco and Houston Photonics, Inc. Through continuous research, an additional on-line monitoring system, the SpectraScan OIW Monitor. An absorbance method for running oil-in-water ppm, was developed. The SpectraScan OIW Analyzer for bench top analysis was also developed to replace the freon solvent extraction method (IR) of running oil-in- water ppm. A major producer in the Permian Basin would have had the capability of reducing the $3.3 mm spent annually on injection well work-overs and filter media replacement with the use of a OIW on-line Monitor. In conjunction with the savings, the effectiveness of the CO2 water flood would have been greatly enhanced.